LA TRÈS SAINTE

TRINOSOPHIE

PAR LE COMTE DE ST.-GERMAINp. 5

A PARALLEL FRENCH ANDENGLISH TEXT OF

THE MOST HOLY

TRINOSOPHIAOF THE COMTE DE ST.-GERMAIN

WITH INTRODUCTORY MATERIALAND COMMENTARY BY

MANLY HALL

ILLUSTRATED WITH THE FIGURESFROM THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT IN THE

BIBLIOTHÈQUE DE TROYES

THE PHOENIX PRESS

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

MCMXXXIII

scanned at sacred-texts.com, May 2007. Proofed and formatted by John Bruno Hare. This text is in thepublic domain in the United States because it was never registered or renewed at the US Copyright office,

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p. 6

Curieux scrutateur de la Nature entière,J’ai connu du grand tout le principe et la fin.

J’ai vu l’or en puissance au fond de sa rivièreJ’ai saisi sa matière et surpris son levain.

J’expliquai par quel art l’âme aux flancs d’une mèreFait sa maison, l’emporte, et comment un pépin

Mis contre un grain de blé, sous l’humide poussière;L’un plante et l’autre cep, sont le pain et le vin.

Rien n’était, Dieu voulant, rien devint quelque chose,J’en doutais, je cherchai sur quoi l’univers pose.Rien gardait l’équilibre et servait de soutien.

Enfin avec le poids de l’éloge et du blâmeJe pesai l’éternel; il appella mon âme:Je mourrai, j’adorai, je ne savais plus rien.

—Comte de St.-Germain

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE

THE MAN WHO DOES NOT DIE

PART TWO

THE RAREST OF OCCULT MANUSCRIPTS

PART THREE

PARALLEL FRENCH AND ENGLISH TEXT OFTHE MOST HOLY TRINOSOPHIA

PART FOUR

NOTES AND COMMENTARIES

THE MAN WHODOES NOT DIE

HE GREAT ILLUMINIST, Rosicrucianand Freemason who termed himself theComte de St.-Germain is withoutquestion the most baffling personality ofmodern history. His name was so nearly asynonym of mystery that the enigma ofhis true identity was as insolvable to hiscontemporaries as it has been to laterinvestigators. No one questioned theComte’s noble birth or illustrious estate. His whole personality bore the indeliblestamp of gentle breeding.

The grace and dignity that characterizedhis conduct, together with his perfectcomposure in every situation, attested theinnate refinement and culture of one

accustomed to high station.

A London publication makes the following brief analysis of his ancestry: "Did he in hisold age tell the truth to his protector and enthusiastic admirer, Prince Charles of HesseCassel? According to the story told by his last friend, he was the son of Prince Rakoczy,of Transylvania, and his first wife, a Takely. He was placed, when an infant, under theprotection of the last of the Medici (Gian Gastone). When he grew up and heard that histwo brothers, sons of the Princess Hesse Rheinfels, of Rothenburg, had received thenames of St. Charles and St. Elizabeth, he determined to take the name of their holybrother, St. Germanus. What was the truth? One thing alone is certain, that he was theprotege of the last Medici." Caesare Cantu, librarian at Milan, also substantiates the

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[paragraph continues] Ragoczy hypothesis, adding that St.-Germain was educated in theUniversity at Sienna.

In her excellent monograph, The Comte de St.-Germain, the Secret of Kings, Mrs.Cooper-Oakley lists the more important names under which this amazing personmasqueraded between the years 1710 and 1822. "During this time," she writes, "we haveM. de St.-Germain as the Marquis de Montferrat, Comte Bellamarre or Aymar at Venice,Chevalier Schoening at Pisa, Chevalier Weldon at Milan and Leipzig, Comte Soltikoff atGenoa and Leghorn, Graf Tzarogy at Schwalback and Triesdorf, Prinz Ragoczy atDresden, and Comte de St.-Germain at Paris, The Hague, London, and St. Petersburg."To this list it may be added that there has been a tendency among mystical writers toconnect him with the mysterious Comte de Gabalais who appeared to the Abbe Villiersand delivered several discourses on sub-mundane spirits. Nor is it impossible that he isthe same as the remarkable Signor Gualdi whose exploits Hargreave Jennings recounts inhis book The Rosicrucians, Their Rites and Mysteries. He is also suspected of beingidentical with Count Hompesch the last Grand Master of the Knights of Malta.

In personal appearance, the Comte de St.-Germain has been described as of mediumheight, well proportioned in body and of regular and pleasing features. His complexionwas somewhat swarthy and his hair dark, though often powdered. He dressed simply,'usually in black, but his clothes were well fitting and of the best quality. His eyespossessed a great fascination and those who looked into them were profoundlyinfluenced. According to Madame de Pompadour, he claimed to possess the secret ofeternal youth, and upon a certain occasion claimed having been personally acquaintedwith Cleopatra, and at another time of having "chatted familiarly with the Queen ofSheba"! Had it not been for his striking personality and apparently supernatural powers,the Comte would undoubtedly have been considered insane, but his transcending geniuswas so evident that he was merely termed eccentric.

From Souvenirs de Marie Antoinette, by Madame la Comtesse d’Adhemar, we have anexcellent description of the Comte, whom Frederick the Great referred to as "the manwho does not die": "It was in 1743 the rumour spread that a foreigner, enormously rich,judging by the magnificence of his jewelry, had just arrived at Versailles. Where he camefrom, no one has ever been able to find out. His figure was well-knit and graceful, hishands delicate, his feet small, and the shapely legs enhanced by well-fitting silkstockings. His nether garments, which fitted very closely, suggested a rare perfection ofform. His smile showed magnificent teeth, a pretty

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dimple marked his chin, his hair was black, and his glance soft and penetrating. And, oh,what eyes! Never have I seen their like. He looked about forty or forty-five years old. Hewas often to be met within the royal private apartments, where he had unrestrictedadmission at the beginning of 1768."

The Comte de St.-Germain was recognized as an outstanding scholar and linguist of hisday. His linguistic proficiency verged on the supernatural. He spoke German, English,Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French with a Piedmontese accent, Greek, Latin, Sanskrit,Arabic and Chinese with such fluency that in every land in which he visited he wasaccepted as a native. "Learned," writes one author, "speaking every civilized languageadmirably, a great musician, an excellent chemist, he played the part of a prodigy andplayed it to perfection." Even his most relentless detractors admitted that the Comte waspossessed of almost incredible attainments in every department of learning.

Madame de Pompadour extols the genius of St.-Germain in the following words: "Athorough knowledge of all languages, ancient and modern; a prodigious memory;erudition, of which glimpses could be caught between the caprices of his conversation,which was always amusing and occasionally very engaging; an inexhaustible skill invarying the tone and subjects of his converse; in being always fresh and in infusing theunexpected into the most trivial discourses made him a superb talker. Sometimes herecounted anecdotes of the court of the Valois or of princes still more remote, with suchprecise accuracy in every detail as almost to create the illusion that he had been aneyewitness to what he narrated. He had traveled the whole world over and the king lent awilling ear to the narratives of his voyages over Asia and Africa, and to his tales about

the courts of Russia, Turkey and Austria. He appeared to be more imtimately acquaintedwith the secrets of each court than the charge d’affairesof the king."

The Comte was ambidextrous to such a degree that he could write the same article withboth hands simultaneously. When the two pieces of paper were afterwards placed oneupon the other with the light behind them the writing on one sheet exactly covered thewriting on the other. He could repeat pages of print after one reading. To prove that thetwo lobes of his brain could work independently he wrote a love letter with his right handand a set of mystical verses with his left, both at the same time. He also sang beautifully.

By something akin to telepathy this remarkable person was able to feel when his presencewas needed in some distant city or state

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and it has even been recorded of him that he had the disconcerting habit of appearing inhis own apartments and those of his friends without resorting to the conventionality of thedoor.

He was, by some curious circumstances, a patron of railroads and steamboats. FranzGraeffer, in his Recollections of Vienna, recounts the following incident in the life of theastonishing Comte: "St.-Germain then gradually passed into a solemn mood. For a fewseconds he became rigid as a statue; his eyes, which were always expressive beyondwords, became dull and colourless. Presently, however, his whole being becamereanimated. He made a movement with his hand as if in signal of departure, then said 'Iam leaving (ich scheide) do not visit me. Once again will you see me. Tomorrow night I

am off; I am much needed in Constantinople, then in England, there to prepare twoinventions which you will have in the next century—trains and steamboats'."

As an historian the Comte possessed an uncanny knowledge of every occurrence of thepreceding two thousand years and in his reminiscences he described in intimate detailevents of the previous centuries in which he had played important roles. "He spoke ofscenes at the court of Francis I as if he had seen them, describing exactly the appearanceof the king, imitating his voice, manner and language—affecting throughout the characterof an eyewitness. In like style he edified his audience with pleasant stories of LouisXIVth, and regaled them with vivid descriptions of places and persons." (See All the YearRound).

Most of St.-Germain’s biographers have noted his peculiar habits with regard to eating. It was diet, he declared, combined with his marvellous elixir, which constituted the truesecret of longevity, and although invited to the most sumptuous repasts he resolutelyrefused to eat any food but such as had been specially prepared for him and according tohis recipes. His food consisted mostly of oatmeal, groats and the white meat of chicken.He is known on rare occasions to have taken a little wine and he always took the mostelaborate precautions against the possibility of contracting cold. Frequently invited todinner, he devoted the time during which he naturally should have eaten to regaling theother guests with tales of magic and sorcery, unbelievable adventures in remote placesand intimate episodes from the lives of the great.

In one of his tales concerning vampires, St.-Germain mentioned in an offhand way thathe possessed the wand or staff with which Moses brought water from the rock, addingthat it had been presented to him at Babylon during the reign of Cyrus the Great. Thememoir writers admit themselves at a loss as to how many of the

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[paragraph continues] Comte’s statements could be believed. Common sense, as then defined, assured them that most of the accounts must be fashioned out of whole cloth. On theother hand, his information was of such precise nature and his learning so transcendent inevery respect that his words carried the weight of conviction. Once while relating ananecdote regarding his own experiences at some remote time and suddenly failing torecollect clearly what he considered a relevant detail, he turned to his valet and said, "AmI not mistaken, Roger?" The good man instantly replied: "Monsieur le Comte forgets thatI have only been with him for five hundred years. I could not, therefore, have beenpresent at that occasion. It must have been my predecessor."

The smallest doings of so unusual a person as St.-Germain would, of course, bemeticulously noted. Several interesting and amusing bits of information are availablerelative to the establishment which he maintained in Paris. He had two valets de chambre.The first, Roger, already mentioned, and the second a Parisien engaged for his knowledgeof the city and other useful local information. "Besides this, his household consisted offour lackeys in snuff-colored livery and gold braiding. He hired a carriage at five hundredfrancs a month. As he often changed his coats and waistcoats, he had a rich and

expensive collection of them but nothing approached the mangificence of his buttons,studs, watches, rings, chains, diamonds, and other precious stones. Of these he possesseda very large value and varied them every week."

Meeting St.-Germain one day at dinner Baron Gleichen chanced to focus theconversation upon Italy and had the good fortune to please St.-Germain, who, turning tohim remarked: "I have taken a great fancy to you, and will show you a dozen pictures, thelike of which you have not seen in Italy." In the words of Gleichen: "Actually, he almostkept his word, for the pictures he showed me were all stamped either with singularity orperfection, which rendered them more interesting than many first-class works. Above allwas a Holy Family by Murillo, equal in beauty to that by Rafaelle at Versailles. But heshowed me other wonders—a large quantity of jewels and colored diamonds ofextraordinary size and perfection. I thought I beheld the treasures of the WonderfulLamp. Among other gems were an opal of monstrous size, and a white sapphire (?) aslarge as an egg, which, by its brilliancy, dimmed all the stones compared with it. I flattermyself that I am a connoisseur in gems, but I can declare that it was impossible toperceive any reason for doubting the genuineness of these jewels, the more so that theywere not mounted."

As an art critic St.-Germain could instantly detect the most

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cleverly perpetrated forgeries. He did considerable painting himself, achieving anincredible brilliance of color. He was so successful that Vanloo the French artist beggedhim to divulge the secret of his pigments but he refused. He is accredited with havingsecured astonishing results in the painting of jewelry by mixing powdered mother-of-pearl with his colors. What occurred to his priceless collection of paintings and jewelsafter his death or disappearance is unknown. It is possible that the Comte’s chemicalknowledge comprehended the manufacture of luminous paint such as is now used onwatch dials. His skill as a chemist was so profound that he could remove flaws fromdiamonds and emeralds, which feat he actually performed at the request of Louis XV in1757. Stones of comparatively little value were thus transformed into gems of the firstwater after remaining for a short time in his possession. He frequently performed this lastexperiment, if the statements of his friends can be relied upon. There is also a popularstory to the effect that he placed gems worth thousands of dollars on the place cards at thebanquets he gave.

It was in the court at Versailles that the Comte de St.-Germain was brought face to facewith the elderly Comtesse de Gergy. Upon beholding the celebrated magician, the agedlady stepped back in amazement and the following well-authenticated conversation tookplace between the two:

"Fifty years ago," the Comtesse said, "I was ambassadress at Venice and I rememberseeing you there looking just as you do now, only somewhat riper in age perhaps, for youhave grown younger since then."

Bowing low, the Comte answered with dignity: "I have always thought myself happy inbeing able to make myself agreeable to the ladies."

Madame de Gergy then continued: "You then called yourself the Marquis Balletti."

The Comte bowed again and replied: "And Comtesse Gergy’s memory is still as good as it was fifty years ago."

The Comtesse smiled. "That I owe to an elixir you gave me at our first meeting. You arereally an extraordinary man."

St.-Germain assumed a grave expression. "Did this Marquis Balletti have a badreputation?" he asked.

"On the contrary," replied the Comtesse, "he was in very good society."

The Comte shrugged his shoulders expressively saying: "Well,

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as no one complains of him, I adopt him willingly as my grandfather."

The Comtesse d’Adhemar was present during the entire conversation and vouches for its accuracy in every detail.

Madame du Hausset, femme de chambre to Madame de Pompadour, writes at somelength of the astonishing man who often called upon her mistress. She records aconversation which took place between la Pompadour and St.-Germain:

"It is true, Madame, that I knew Madame de Gergy long ago," the Comte affirmedquietly.

"But, according to that," replied the Marquise, "you must now be more than a hundredyears old."

"That is not impossible," enigmatically returned the Comte with a slight smile, "but Iadmit that it is more possible that this lady, for whom I have infinite respect, talksnonsense."

It was answers such as this which led Gustave Bord to write of St.-Germain that, "heallows a certain mystery to hover about him, a mystery which awakens curiosity andsympathy. Being a virtuoso in the art of misleading he says nothing that is untrue. * * *He has the rare gift of remaining silent and profiting by it." (See La Franc-Macennerie enFrance, etc.)

But to return to Madame du Hausset’s story. "You gave Madame de Gergy," pressed la Pompadour, "an elixir surprising in its effects; she pretends that tor a long while sheappeared to be no older than twenty-four. Why should you not give some to the king?"

St.-Germain allowed an expression feigning terror to spread over his face, "Ah! Madame,I should be mad indeed to take it into my head to give the king an unknown drug!"

The Comte was on very friendly terms with Louis XV with whom he had longdiscussions on the subject of precious stones, their manufacture and purification. Louiswas amused and thrilled by turns. Never before had so extraordinary a person trod thesacred precincts of Versailles. The whole court was topsy-turvy and miracles were theorder of the day. Courtiers of depleted fortunes envisioned the magical multiplication oftheir gold and grandames of uncertain age had dreams of youth and favor restored by themystery man’s fabled elixirs. It is easy to understand how so fascinating a character could relieve the boredom of a king who had spent his life a martyr to royal fashions and wasdeprived by his position of the pleasure of honest work. Then, again, rulers becomevictims to the fads of the moment and Louis himself was

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dabbling in alchemy and other occult arts. True, the king was only a dilletante whose willwas not strong enough to bind him to any lasting purpose, but St.-Germain appealed toseveral qualities in the royal nature. The Comte’s fund of knowledge, the skill with. which he assembled his facts to the amusement and edification of his audiences, themystery which surrounded his appearances and disappearances, his consummate skillboth as a critic and technician in the arts and sciences, to say nothing of his jewels andwealth, endeared him to the king. Had Louis but profited by the wisdom and propheticwarnings of the mysterious Comte, the Reign of Terror might have been averted. St.-Germain was ever the patron, never the patronized. Louis had found the diplomat inwhom there was no guile.

De Pompadour writes, "He enriched the cabinet of the king by his pictures by Valasquezand Murillo, and he presented to the Marquise the most precious and priceless gems. Forthis singular man passed for being fabulously rich and he distributed diamonds andjewels with astonishing liberality."

Not the least admirable evidence of the Comte’s genius was his penetrating grasp of thepolitical situation of Europe and the consummate skill with which he parried the thrustsof his diplomatic adversaries. At all times he bore credentials which gave him entry to themost exclusive circles of European nobility. During the reign of Peter the Great M. deSt.-Germain was in Russia, and between the years 1737 and 1742 in the court of the Shahof Persia as an honored guest. On the subject of his wanderings, Una Birch writes: "Thetravels of the Comte de Saint-Germain covered a long period of years and a great rangeof countries. From Persia to France and from Calcutta to Rome he was known andrespected. Horace Walpole spoke with him in London in 1745; Clive knew him in Indiain 1756; Madame d’Adhemar alleges that she met him in Paris in 1789, five years afterhis supposed death; while other persons pretend to have held conversations with him in

the early nineteenth century. He was on familiar and intimate terms with the crownedheads of Europe and the honoured friend of many distinguished persons of allnationalities. He is even mentioned in the memoirs and letters of the day, and always as aman of mystery. Frederick the Great, Voltaire, Madame de Pompadour, Rousseau,Chatham, and Walpole, all of whom knew him personally, rivalled each other in curiosityas to his origin. During the many decades in which he was before the world, however, noone succeeded in discovering why he appeared as a Jacobite agent in London, as aconspirator in Petersburg, as an alchemist and connoisseur of pictures in Paris, or as aRussian general at Naples. * * * Now and again the curtain

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which shrouds his actions is drawn aside, and we are permitted to see him fiddling in themusic room at Versailles, gossiping with Horace Walpole in London, sitting in Frederickthe Great’s library at Berlin, or conducting illuminist meetings in caverns by the Rhine." (See The Nineteenth Century, January, 1908.)

In the realm of music St.-Germain was equally a master. While at Versailles he gaveconcerts on the violin and on at least one occasion during an eventful life he conducted asymphony orchestra without a score. In Paris St.-Germain was the diplomat and thealchemist, in London he was the musician. "He left a musical record behind him toremind English people of his sojourn in this country. Many of his compositions werepublished by Walsh, in Catherine Street, Strand, and his earliest English song, Oh,wouldst thou, know what sacred charms, came out while he was still on his first visit toLondon; but on quitting this city he entrusted certain other settings of words to Walsh,such as Jove, when he saw, and the arias out of his little operaL’Inconstanza Delusa,both of which compositions were published during his absence from England. When hereturned, in 1760, he gave the world a great many new songs, followed in 1780 by a setof solos for the violin. He was an industrious and capable artist, and attracted a great dealof fashionable attention to himself both as composer and executant."

An old English newspaper, The London Chronicle, for June, 1760, contains the followinganecdote: "With regard to music, he not only played but composed; and both in hightaste. Nay, his very ideas were accommodated to the art; and in those occurrences whichhad no relation to music he found means to express himself in figurative terms deducedfrom this science. There could not be a more artful way of showing his attention to thesubject. I remember an incident which impressed it strongly upon my memory. I had thehonour to be at an assembly of Lady , who to many other good and greataccomplishments added a taste for music so delicate that she was made a judge in thedispute of masters. This stranger was to be of the party; and towards evening he came inhis usual free and polite manner, but with more hurry than was customary, and with hisfingers stopped in his ears. I can conceive easily that in most men this would have been avery ungraceful attitude, and I am afraid it would have been construed into an ungenteelentrance; but he had a manner that made everything agreeable. They had been emptying acartload of stones just at the door, to mend the pavement; he threw himself into a chairand, when the lady asked what was the matter, he pointed to the place and said, 'I amstunned with a whole cart-load of discords'."

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In his memoirs the Italian adventurer Jacques de Casanova de Seingalt makes numerousreferences to his acquaintance with St.-Germain. Casanova grudgingly admits that theComte was an adept at magical arts, a skilled linguist, musician and chemist who won thefavor of the ladies of the French court not only by the general air of mystery surroundinghim but by his surpassing skill in preparing pigments and cosmetics by which hepreserved for them at least a shadow of swift departing youth.

Casanova describes a meeting with St.-Germain which occurred "in Belgium under mostunusual circumstances. Having arrived at Tournay, Casanova was surprised to see somegrooms walking spirited horses up and down. He asked to whom the fine animalsbelonged and was told: "To the Comte de St.-Germain, the adept, who has been here amonth and never goes out. Everybody who passes through the place wants to see him, buthe makes himself visible to no one." This was sufficient to excite the curiosity ofCasanova, who wrote requesting an appointment. He received the following answer: "Thegravity of my occupation compels me to exclude everyone, but in your case I will makean exception. Come whenever you like and you will be shown in. You need not mentionmy name nor your own. I do not ask you to share my repast, for my food is not suitable toothers, to you least of all, if your appetite is what it used to be." At nine o’clock Casanova called and found that the Comte had grown a beard two inches long. In discussion withCasanova, the Comte explained his presence in Belgium by stating that Count Cobenzl,the Austrian ambassador at Brussels, desired to establish a hat factory and that he wastaking care of the details. Upon his telling St.-Germain that he was suffering from anacute disease, the Comte invited Casanova to remain for treatment, saying that he wouldprepare fifteen pills which in three days would restore the Italian to perfect health.

Casanova writes: "Then he showed me his magistrum, which he called athoeter. It was awhite liquid contained in a well stopped phial. He told me that this liquid was theuniversal spirit of Nature and that if the wax of the stopper was pricked even so slightly,the whole of the contents would disappear. I begged him to make the experiment. Hethereupon gave me the phial and the pin and I myself pricked the wax, when, lo, the phialwas empty." Casanova, being somewhat of a rogue himself, doubted all other men.Therefore, he refused to permit St.-Germain to treat his malady. He could not deny,however, that St.-Germain was a chemist of extraordinary skill, whose accomplishmentswere astonishing if not practical. The adept refused to disclose the purpose for whichthese chemical experiments

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were intended, maintaining that such information could not be communicated.

Casanova further records an incident in which St.-Germain changed a twelve-sols pieceinto a pure gold coin. Being a doubting Thomas, Casanova declared that he felt sure thatSt.-Germain had substituted one coin for another. He intimated so to the Comte whoreplied: "Those who are capable of entertaining doubts of my work are not worthy to

speak to me," and bowed the Italian out. This was the last time Casanova ever saw St.-Germain.

There is other evidence that the celebrated Comte possessed the alchemical powder bywhich it is possible to transmute base metals into gold. He actually performed this feat onat least two occasions, as attested by the writings of contemporaries. The Marquis deValbelle, visiting St.-Germain in his laboratory, found the alchemist busy with hisfurnaces. He asked the Marquis for a silver six-franc piece and, covering it with a blacksubstance, exposed it to the heat of a small flame or furnace. M. de Valbelle saw the coinchange color until it turned a bright red. Some minutes after, when it had cooled a little,the adept took it out of the cooling vessel and returned it to the Marquis. The piece wasno longer of silver but of the purest gold. Transmutation had been complete. TheComtesse d’Adhemar had possession of this coin until 1786 when it was stolen from her secretary.

One author tells us that, "Saint-Germain always attributed his knowledge of occultchemistry to his sojourn in Asia. In 1755 he went to the East again for the second time,and writing to Count von Lamberg he said, 'I am indebted for my knowledge of meltingjewels to my second journey to India'."

There are too many authentic cases of metallic transmutations to condemn St.-Germain asa charlatan for such a feat. The Leopold-Hoffman medal, still in the possession of thatfamily, is the most outstanding example of the transmutation of metals ever recorded.Two-thirds of this medal was transformed into gold by the monk Wenzel Seiler, leavingthe balance silver which was its original state. In this case fraud was impossible as therewas but one copy of the medal extant. The ease with which we condemn as fraudulentand unreal anything which transcends our understanding has brought unjustified calumnyupon the names and memories of many illustrious persons.

The popular belief that Comte de St.-Germain was merely an adventurer is not supportedby even a shred of evidence. He was never detected in any subterfuge nor did he betray,even to the

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slightest degree, the confidence entrusted to him. His great wealth—for he was alwaysamply supplied with this world’s goods—was not extracted from those with whom hecame in contact. Every effort to determine the source and size of his fortune was fruitless.He made use of neither bank nor banker yet moved in a sphere of unlimited credit, whichwas neither questioned by others nor abused by himself.

Referring to the attacks upon his character, H. P. Blavatsky wrote in The Theosophist ofMarch, 1881: "Do charlatans enjoy the confidence and admiration of the clevereststatesmen and nobles of Europe, for long years, and not even at their deaths show in onething that they were undeserving? Some encyclopaedists (see New American Cyclopedia,xiv. 266) say: 'He is supposed to have been employed during the greater part of his life asa spy at the courts at which he resided.' But upon what evidence is this supposition

based? Has anyone found it in any of the state papers in the secret archives of either ofthose courts? Not one word, not one shred of fact to build this base calumny upon, hasever been found. It is simply a malicious lie. The treatment this great man, this pupil ofIndian and Egyptian hierophants, this proficient in the secret wisdom of the East, has hadfrom Western writers, is a stigma upon human nature."

Nothing is known concerning the source of the Comte de St.Germain’s occult knowledge. Most certainly he not only intimated his possession of a vast amount of wisdom but healso gave many examples in support of his claims. When asked once about himself, hereplied that his father was the Secret Doctrine and his mother the Mysteries. St.-Germainwas thoroughly conversant with the principles of Oriental esotericism. He practiced theEastern system of meditation and concentration, upon several occasions having been seenseated with his feet crossed and hands folded in the posture of a Hindu Buddha. He had aretreat in the heart of the Himalayas to which he retired periodically from the world. Onone occasion he declared that he would remain in India for eighty-five years and thenreturn to the scene of his European labors. At various times he admitted that he wasobeying the orders of a power higher and greater than himself. What he did not say wasthat this superior power was the Mystery School which had sent him into the world toaccomplish a definite mission. The Comte de St.-Germain and Sir Francis Bacon are thetwo greatest emissaries sent into the world by the Secret Brotherhood in the last thousandyears.

The principles disseminated by the Comte de St.-Germain were undoubtedly Rosicrucianin origin and permeated with the doctrines

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of the Gnostics. The Comte was the moving spirit of Rosicrucianism during theeighteenth century—possibly the actual head of that order—and is suspected of being thegreat power behind the French Revolution. There is also reason to believe that LordBulwer-Lytton’s famous novel, Zanoni, is actually concerned with the life and activitiesof St.-Germain. He is generally regarded as an important figure in the early activities ofthe Freemasons. Repeated efforts, however, probably with an ulterior motive, have beenmade to discredit his Masonic affiliations. Maags of London are offering for sale aMasonic minute book in which the signatures of both Comte de St.-Germain and theMarquis de Lafayette appear. It will yet be established beyond all doubt that the Comtewas both a Mason and a Templar; in fact, the memoirs of Cagliostro contain a directstatement of his own initiation into the order of the Knights Ternplars at the hands of St.-Germain. Many of the illustrious personages with whom the Comte associated were highMasons, and sufficient memoranda have been preserved concerning the discussionswhich they held to prove that he was a Chaster of Freemasonic lore.

Madame d’Adhemar, who has preserved so many anecdotes of the life of the "wonder man", copied from one of St.-Germain’s letters the following prophetic verses pertaining to the downfall of the French Empire:

"The time is fast approaching when imprudent France,Surrounded by misfortune she might have spared herself,Will call to mind such hell as Dante painted.Falling shall we see sceptre, censer, scales,Towers and escutcheons, even the white flag.Great streams of blood are flowing in each town;Sobs only do I hear, and exiles see.On all sides civil discord loudly roarsAnd uttering cries, on all sides virtue fleesAs from the Assembly votes of death arise.Great God, who can reply to murderous judges?And on what brows august I see the swords descend!

Marie Antoinette was much disturbed by the direful nature of the prophecies andquestioned Madame d’Adhemar as to her opinion of their significance. Madame replied, "They are dismaying but certainly they cannot affect Your Majesty."

Madame d’Adhemar also recounts a dramatic incident. St.-Germain offered to meet thegood lady at the Church of the Recollets about the hour of the eight o’clock mass. Madame went to the

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appointed place in her sedan chair and recorded the following conversation betweenherself and the mysterious adept:

St.-Germain: I am Cassandra, prophet of evil . . . Madame, he who sows the windreaps the whirlwind . . . I can do nothing; my hands are tied by a stronger thanmyself.

Madame: Will you see the Queen?

St.-Germain: No; she is doomed.

Madame: Doomed to what?

St.-Germain: Death.

Madame: And you—you too?

St.-Germain: Yes—like Cazotte—Return to the Palace; tell the Queen to takeheed of herself, that this day will be fatal to her . . .

Madame: But M. de Lafayette . . .

St.-Germain: A balloon inflated with wind. Even now, they are settling what to dowith him, whether he shall be instrument or victim; by noon all will be decided . .. The hour of repose is past, and the decrees of Providence must be fulfilled.

Madame: What do they want?

St.-Germain: The complete ruin of the Bourbons. They will expel them from allthe thrones they occupy and in less than a century they will return in all theirdifferent branches to the rank of simple private individuals. France as Kingdom,Republic, Empire, and mixed Government will be tormented, agitated, torn. Fromthe hands of class tyrants she will pass to those who are ambitious and withoutmerit.

Comte de St.-Germain disappeared from the stage of French mysticism as suddenly andinexplicably as he had appeared. Nothing is known with positive certainty after thatdisappearance. It is claimed by transcendentalists that he retired into the secret orderwhich had sent him into the world for a particular and peculiar purpose. Havingaccomplished this mission, he vanished. From the Memoirs de Mon Temps of Charles,Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, we gain several particulars concerning the last years beforethe death or disappearance of the Hungarian adept. Charles was deeply interested inoccult and Masonic mysteries, and a secret society, of which he was the moving spirit,held occasional meetings upon his estate. The purposes of this organization were similarto, if not identical with, Cagliostro’s Egyptian Rite. In fact, after studying the fragmentsleft by the Landgrave, Cagliostro’s contention that he was initiated into Egyptian Masonry by St.-Germain is proved beyond

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a reasonable doubt. The "Wonder Man" attended at least some of these secret meetingsand of all whom he met and knew during life, he confided more in Prince Charles than inany other man. The last years of St.-Germain’s known life were therefore divided between his experimental research work in alchemy with Charles of Hesse and theMystery School at Louisenlund, in Schleswig, where philosophic and political problemswere under discussion.

According to popular tradition, it was on the estate of Prince Charles that St.-Germainfinally died at a date given out as 1784. The strange circumstances connected with hispassing lead us to suspect that is was a mock funeral similar to that given the Englishadept, Lord Bacon. It has been noted that, "Great uncertainty and vagueness surround hislatter days, for no confidence can be reposed in the announcement of the death of oneilluminate by another, for, as is well known, all means to secure the end were in theircode justifiable, and it may have been to the interest of the society that St.-Germainshould have been thought dead."

H. P. Blavatsky remarks: "Is it not absurd to suppose that if he really died at the time andplace mentioned, he would have been laid in the ground without the pomp and ceremony,the official supervision, the police registration which attend the funerals of men of his

rank and notoriety? Where are these data? He passed out of public sight more than acentury ago, yet no memoirs contain them. A man who so lived in the full blaze ofpublicity could not have vanished, if he really died then and there, and left no tracebehind. Moreover, to this negative we have the alleged positive proof that he was livingseveral years after 1784. He is said to have had a most important private conference withthe Empress of Russia in 1785 or 1786 and to have appeared to the Princess de Lambellewhen she stood before the tribunal, a few minutes before she was struck down with abillet, and a butcher-boy cut off her head; and to Jeanne Dubarry, the mistress of LouisXV as she waited on her scaffold at Paris the stroke of the guillotine in the Days of Terrorof 1793."

It should be added that the Comte de Chalons, on his return from an embassy to Venice in1788, said that he had conversed with the Comte de St.-Germain in the square at St.Mark’s the evening before his departure. The Comtesse d’Adhemar also saw and talked with him after his presumed decease, and the Encyclopedia Britannica notes that he issaid to have attended a Masonic conference several years after his death had beenreported. In concluding an article on the identity of the inscrutable Comte, Andrew Langwrites: "Did Saint-Germain really die in the palace of Prince Charles of Hesse about1780-85? Did he, on the other hand, escape from the French

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prison where Grosley thought he saw him, during the Revolution? Was he known to LordLytton about 1860? * * * Is he the mysterious Muscovite adviser of the Dalai Lama?Who knows? He is a will-o’-the-wisp of the memoir-writers of the eighteenth century."(See Historical Mysteries.)

The true purpose for which St.-Germain labored must remain obscure until the dawn of anew era. Homer refers to the Golden Chain by which the gods conspired to bind the earthto the pinnacle of Olympus. In each age there appears some few persons whose wordsand actions demonstrate clearly that they are of an order different from the rest of society.Humanity is guided over critical periods in the development of civilization by mysteriousforces such as were personified in the eccentric Comte de St.-Germain. Until werecognize the reality of the occult forces at work in every-day life, we cannot grasp thesignificance of either the man or his work. To the wise, St.-Germain is no wonder—tothose who are limited by belief in the inevitability of the commonplace, he is indeed amagician, defying the laws of nature and violating the smugness of the pseudo-learned.

THE RAREST OFOCCULT

MANUSCRIPTS

F THE UTMOST SIGNIficance to allstudents of Freemasonry and the occultsciences is this unique manuscript LaTrès Sainte Trinosophie. Not only is itthe only known mystical writing of theComte de St.-Germain, but it is one of themost extraordinary documents relating tothe Hermetic sciences ever compiled.Though the libraries of EuropeanRosicrucians and Cabbalists containmany rare treasures of ancientphilosophical lore, it is extremelydoubtful if any of them include a treatiseof greater value or significance. There isa persistent rumor that St.-Germainpossessed a magnificent library, and thathe prepared a number of manuscripts on

the secret sciences for the use of his disciples. At the time of his death . . . ordisappearance . . . these books and papers vanished, probably into the archives of hissociety, and no trustworthy information is now available as to their whereabouts.

The mysterious Comte is known to have possessed at one time a copy of the Vaticanmanuscript of the Cabbala, a work of extraordinary profundity setting forth the doctrinesof the Luciferians, Lucianiasts and the Gnostics. The second volume of The SecretDoctrine by H. P. Blavatsky (pp. 582-83 of the original edition) contains two quotationsfrom a manuscript "supposed to be by the Comte St.-Germain". The parts of theparagraphs attributed to the Hungarian adept are not clearly indicated, but as the entiretext deals with the significance of numbers, it is reasonable to infer that

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his commentaries are mystical interpretations of the numerals 4 and 5. Both paragraphsare in substance similar to thePuissance des nombres d’après Pythagoreby Jean MarieRagon. The Mahatma Koot Hoomi mentions a "ciphered MS." by St.-Germain whichremained with his staunch friend and patron the benevolent Prince Charles of Hesse-Cassel (See Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett). Comparatively unimportant references toSt.-Germain, and wild speculations concerning his origin and the purpose of his Europeanactivities, are available in abundance, but the most exhaustive search of the work ofeighteenth century memoir writers for information regarding the Masonic andmetaphysical doctrines which he promulgated has proved fruitless. So far as it has beenpossible to ascertain, the present translation and publication of La Très SainteTrinosophie affords the first opportunity to possess a work setting forth . . . in the usualveiled and symbolic manner . . . the esoteric doctrines of St.-Germain, and his associates.

La Très Sainte Trinosophie is MS. No. 2400 in the French Library at Troyes. The work isof no great length, consisting of ninety-six leaves written upon one side only. Thecalligraphy is excellent. Although somewhat irregular in spelling and accenting, the

French is scholarly and dramatic, and the text is embellished with numerous figures, welldrawn and brilliantly colored. In addition to the full-page drawings there are smallsymbols at the beginning and end of each of the sections. Throughout the French textthere are scattered letters, words, and phrases in several ancient languages . . There arealso magical symbols, figures resembling Egyptian hieroglyphics, and a few words incharacters resembling cuneiform. At the end of the manuscript are a number of leaveswritten in arbitrary ciphers, possibly the code used by St.-Germain’s secret society. The work was probably executed in the latter part of the eighteenth century, though most ofthe material belongs to a considerably earlier period.

As to the history of this remarkable manuscript, too little, unfortunately, is known. Theillustrious Freemasonic martyr, the Comte Allesandro Cagliostro, carried this bookamongst others with him on his ill-fated journey to Rome. After Cagliostro’s incarceration in the Castle San Leo, all trace of the manuscript was temporarily lost.Eventually Cagliostro’s literary effects came into the possession of a general in Napoleon’s army, and upon this officer’s death La Très Sainte Trinosophie was bought ata nominal price by the Bibliothèque de Troyes. In his Musée des Sorciers, Grillot deGivry adds somewhat to the meager notes concerning the manuscript. He states that thevolume was bought at the sale of Messena’s effects; that in the front of the book is a note by a philosopher who signs himself

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[paragraph continues] "I.B.C. Philotaume" who states that the manuscript belonged to him and isthe sole existing copy of the famous Trinosophie of the Comte de St.-Germain, theoriginal of which the Comte himself destroyed on one of his journeys.The note then addsthat Cagliostro had owned the volume, but that the Inquisition had seized it in Romewhen he was arrested at the end of 1789. (It should be remembered that Cagliostro andhis wife had visited St.-Germain at a castle in Holstein.) De Givry sums up the contentsof La Très Sainte Trinosophie as "Cabbalized alchemy" and describes St.-Germain as"one of the enigmatic personages of the eighteenth century . . . an alchemist and man ofthe world who passed through the drawing rooms of all Europe and ended by falling intothe dungeons of the Inquisition at Rome, if the manuscript is to be believed".

The title of the manuscript, La Très Sainte Trinosophie, translated into English means"The Most Holy Trinisophia" or "The Most Holy Three-fold Wisdom". The title itselfopens a considerable field of speculation. Is there any connection between La Très SainteTrinosophie and the Masonic brotherhood of Les Trinosophists which was founded in1805 by the distinguished Belgian Freemason and mystic Jean Marie Ragon, alreadyreferred to? The knowledge of occultism possessed by Ragon is mentioned in terms ofthe highest respect by H. P. Blavatsky who says of him that "for fifty years he studied theancient mysteries wherever he could find accounts of them". Is it not possible that Ragonas a young man either knew St.-Germain or contacted his secret society? Ragon wastermed by his contemporaries "the most learned Mason of the nineteenth century". In1818, before the Lodge of Les Trinosophists, he delivered a course of lectures on ancientand modern initiation which he repeated at the request of that lodge in 1841. Theselectures were published under the title Cours Philosophique et Interprétatif des

Initiations Anciennes et Modernes. In 1853 Ragon published his most important workOrthodoxie Maçonnique. Ragon died in Paris about 1866 and two years later hisunfinished manuscripts were purchased from his heirs by the Grand Orient of France forone thousand francs. A high Mason told Madam Blavatsky that Ragon had correspondedfor years with two Orientalists in Syria and Egypt, one of whom was a Copt gentleman.

Ragon defined the Lodge of the Trinosophists as "those who study three sciences".Madame Blavatsky writes: "It is on the occult properties of the three equal lines or sidesof the Triangle that Ragon based his studies and founded the famous Masonic Society ofthe Trinosophists". Ragon describes the symbolism of the triangle in substance asfollows: The first side or line represents the

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mineral kingdom which is the proper study for Apprentices; the second line representsthe vegetable kingdom which the Companions should learn to understand because in thiskingdom generation of bodies begins; the third line represents the animal kingdom fromthe exploration of which the Master Mason must complete his education. It has been saidof the Lodge of the Trinosophists that "it was at one time the most intelligent society ofFreemasons ever known. It adhered to the ancient Landmarks but gave clearer and moresatisfactory interpretations to the symbols of Freemasonry than are afforded in thesymbolical Lodges". It practiced five degrees. In the Third, candidates for initiationreceived a philosophic and astronomic explanation of the Hiramic Legend.

The Egyptianized interpretation of Freemasonic symbolism which is so evident in thewritings of Ragon and other French Masonic scholars of the same period (such as Courtde Gabelin and Alexandre Lenoir) is also present in the figures and text of the St.-Germain manuscript. In his comments on the Rite of Misraim, called the Egyptian Rite,Ragon distinguishes 90 degrees of Masonic Mysteries. The Ist to 33rd degrees he termssymbolic; the 34th to 66th degrees, philosophic; the 67th to 77th, mystic; and the 78th to90th, Cabbalistic. The Egyptian Freemasonry of Cagliostro may also have been derivedfrom St.-Germain or from some common body of Illuminists of whom St.-Germain wasthe moving spirit. Cagliostro’s memoirs contain a direct statement of his initiation into the Order of Knights Templars at the hands of St.-Germain. De Luchet gives what amodern writer on Cagliostro calls a fantastic account of the visit paid by Allesandro andhis wife the Comtesse Felicitas to St.-Germain in Germany, and their subsequentinitiation by him into the sect of the Rosicrucians—of which he was the Grand Master orchief. There is nothing improbable in the assumption that Cagliostro secured La TrèsSainte Trinosophie from St.-Germain and that the manuscript is in every respect anauthentic ritual of this society.

The word Trinosophie quite properly infers a triple meaning to the contents of the book,in other words that its meaning should be interpreted with the aid of three keys. From thesymbolism it seems that one of these keys is alchemy, or soul-chemistry; anotherEssenian Cabbalism; and the third Alexandrian Hermetism, the mysticism of the laterEgyptians. From such fragments of the Rosicrucian lore as now exists, it is evident that

the Brethren of the Rose Cross were especially addicted to these three forms of theancient wisdom, and chose the symbols of these schools as the vehicles of their ideas.

The technical task of decoding the hieroglyphics occurring

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throughout La Très Sainte Trinosophie was assigned to Dr. Edward C. Getsinger, aneminent authority on ancient alphabets and languages, who is now engaged in thedecoding of the primitive ciphers in the Book of Genesis. A few words from his noteswill give an idea of the difficulties involved in decoding:

"Archaic writings are usually in one system of letters or characters, but those among theancients who were in possession of the sacred mysteries of life and certain secretastronomical cycles never trusted this knowledge to ordinary writing, but devised secretcodes by which they concealed their wisdom from the unworthy. Each of thesecommunities or brotherhoods of the enlightened devised its own code. About 3000 B. C.only the Initiates and their scribes could read and write. At that period the simplermethods of concealment were in vogue, one of which was to drop certain letters fromwords in such a manner that the remaining letters still formed a word which, however,conveyed an entirely different sense. As ages progressed other systems were invented,until human ingenuity was taxed to the utmost in an endeavor to conceal and yetperpetuate sacred knowledge.

"In order to decipher ancient writings of a religious or philisophic nature, it is firstnecessary to discover the code or method of concealment used by the scribe. In all mytwenty years of experience as a reader of archaic writings I have never encountered suchingenious codes and methods of concealment as are found in this manuscript. In only afew instances are complete phrases written in the same alphabet; usually two or threeforms of writing are employed, with letters written upside down, reversed, or with thetext written backwards. Vowels are often omitted, and at times several letters are missingwith merely dots to indicate their number. Every combination of hieroglyphics seemedhopeless at the beginning, yet, after hours of alphabetic dissection, one familiar wordwould appear. This gave a clue as to the language used, and established a place whereword combination might begin, and then a sentence would gra dually unfold.

"The various texts are written in Chaldean Hebrew, Ionic Greek, Arabic, Syriac,cuneiform, Greek hieroglyphics, and ideographs. The keynote throughout this material isthat of the approach of the age when the Leg of the Grand Man and the Waterman of theZodiac shall meet in conjunction at the equinox and end a grand 400,000-year cycle. Thispoints to a culmination of eons, as mentioned in the Apocalypse: "Behold! I make a newheaven and a new earth," meaning a series of new cycles and a new humanity.

"The personage who gathered the material in this manuscript was

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indeed one whose spiritual understanding might be envied. He found these various textsin different parts of Europe, no doubt, and that he had a true knowledge of their import isproved by the fact that he attempted to conceal some forty fragmentary ancient texts byscattering them within the lines of his own writing. Yet his own text does not appear tohave any connection with these ancient writings. If a decipherer were to be guided bywhat this eminent scholar wrote he would never decipher the mystery concealed withinthe cryptic words. There is a marvelous spiritual story written by this savant, and a morewonderful one he interwove within the pattern of his own narrative. The result is a storywithin a story."

In the reprinting of the Freneh text of the Trinosophia, the spelling and punctuation isaccording to the original. It has been impossible, however, to reproduce certainpeculiarities of the calligraphy. In some cases the punctuation is obscure, accents areomitted, and dashes of varying lengths are inserted to fill out lines. The presentmanuscript is undoubtedly a copy, as "Philotaume" stated. The archaic characters and thehieroglyphics reveal minor imperfections of formation due to the copyist beingunfamiliar with the alphabets employed.

The considerable extent of the notes and commentaries has made it advisable to placethem together at the end of the work rather than break up the continuity of the text byover-frequent interpolations.

La Très Sainte Trinosophie is not a manuscript for the tyro. Only deep study andconsideration will unravel the complicated skein of its symbolism. Although the textmatter is treated with the utmost simplicity, every line is a profound enigma. Carefulperusal of the book, and meditation upon its contents, will convince the scholar that it hasbeen well designated "the most precious known manuscript of occultism."

PARALLEL FRENCH ANDENGLISH TEXT OF THE MOST

HOLY TRINOSOPHIA

THE MOST HOLY

TRINOSOPHIASECTION ONE

C’EST dans l’azile des criminels dans lescachots de l’Inquisition, que votre ami trace ces lignes qui doivent servir à votre

IT is in the retreat of criminals in thedungeons of the Inquisition that your friendwrites these lines which are to serve for

instruction. En songeant aux avantagesinapréciables que doit vous procurer cetécrit de l’amitié, je sens s’adoucir les horreurs d’une captivité aussi longue quepeu méritée . . . j’ai du plaisir à penser qu’environné de gardes, chargé de fers, un esclave peut encore élever son ami audessus des puissants, des monarques quigouvernent ce lieu d’éxil.

Vous allez pénétrer mon chèr Philochatedans le sanctuaire des sciences sublimes, mamain va lever pour vous le voileimpénétrable qui derobe aux yeux duvulguaire, le tabernacle, le sanctuaire oul’éternel déposa les secrets de la nature, secrets qu’il reserve pour quelques êtres privilégiés, pour les Elus que sa toutepuissance créat pour VOIR pour planer à sasuite dans l’immensité de sa Gloire, et détourner sur l’espèce humaine un des Rayons qui brillent au tour de son Throned’or.

your instruction. At the thought of theinestimable advantages which thisdocument of friendship will procure for you,the horrors of a long and little deservedcaptivity seem to be mitigated . . . It givesme pleasure to think that while surroundedby guards and encumbered by chains, aslave may still be able to raise his friendabove the mighty, the monarchs who rulethis place of exile.

My dear Philochatus, you are about topenetrate into the sanctuary of the sublimesciences; my hand is about to raise for youthe impenetrable veil which hides from theeyes of common men the tabernacle, thesanctuary wherein the Eternal has lodgedthe secrets of nature, kept for a few that areprivileged, the few Elect whom Hisomnipotence created that they may SEE,and seeing, may soar after Him in the vastexpanse of His Glory and deflect uponmankind one of the Rays that shine roundabout His golden Throne.

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Puisse l’exemple de votre ami être pour vous une leçon salutaire et je bénirai leslongues années d’épreuves que les méchans m’ont fait subir.

Deux écueuils également dangereux seprésenteront sans cesse sur vos pas l’un outrageroit les droits sacrés de chaqueindividu c’est l’Abus du pouvoir que DIEU vous auroit confié, l’autre causeroit votre perte c’est L’Indiscrétion . . . tous deux sont nés d’une même mère, tous deux doivent l’existence à l’Orgueil, la foiblesse humaine les allaita, ils sont aveugles, leur mère lesconduit, par son secours ces deux Monstres,vont porter leur soufle impur jusque dans lescoeurs des ELUS du très haut malheur à

If your friend’s example proves a salutarylesson for you, I shall bless the long years oftribulation which the wicked have made mesuffer.

Two stumbling blocks equally dangerouswill constantly present themselves to you.One of them would outrage the sacred rightsof every individual. It is Misuse of thepower which God will have entrusted toyou; the other, which would bring ruin uponyou, is Indiscretion. . . Both are born of thesame mother, both owe their existence topride. Human frailty nourishes them; theyare blind; their mother leads them. With heraid these two Monsters carry their foulbreath even into the hearts of the Lord’s

celui qui abuser-oit des dons du ciel pourservir ses passions la main toute puissantequi lui soumit les Elemens, le briseroitcomme un foible Roseau une éternité detour-mens pourrait . . . à peine expier soncrime les Esprits Infernaux souriroient avecdédain aux pleurs de l’être dont la voix menaçante les fit si souvent trembler au seinde leurs abimes de feu.

Ce n’est pas pour vous . . . Philochate que j’esquisse ce tableau Effrayant, l’ami de l’humanité ne deviendra jamais son persécuteur . . . mais l’Indiscretion mon fils ce besoin impérieux d’inspirer l’étonnement, l’admiration, voila le précipice que je redoute pour vous, DIEUlaisse aux hommes le soin de punir leministre imprudent qui permet à l’oeuil du Prophâne de pénétrer dans le sanctuairemystérieux; Ô Philochate que mes malheurssoient sans cesse présens à votre esprit, &moi aussi j’ai connu le bonheur, comblé des bienfaits

Elect. Woe unto him who misuses the giftsof heaven in order to serve his passions. TheAlmighty Hand that made the elementssubject to him, would break him like afragile reed. An eternity of torments couldhardly expiate his crime. The InfernalSpirits would smile with contempt at thetears of the one whose menacing voice hadso often made them tremble in the bosom oftheir fiery depths.

It is not for you, Philochatus, that I sketchthis dreadful picture. The friend of humanitywill never become its persecutor . . . Theprecipice, my son, which I fear for you, isIndiscretion, the imperious craving toinspire astonishment and admiration. Godleaves to men the task of punishing theimprudent minister who permits the eye ofthe profane to look into the mysterioussanctuary. Oh Philochatus, may my sorrowsbe ever present in your mind. I, too, haveknown happiness, was showered with theblessings of heaven

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du ciel . . . entouré d’une puissance telle que l’entendement humain ne peut la concevoir . . . commandant aux génies qui dirigent lemonde, heureux du bonheur que je faisaisnaître, je goutais au sein d’une famille adorée la félicité que l’Eternel accorde à sesenfans chéris . . . un instant à tout détruit,j’ai parlé et tout s’est évanoui comme un nuage, ô mon fils ne suivez pas mes traces. ..qu’un vain désir de briller aux yeux du monde ne cause pas aussi votre perte . . .pensez à moi . . . c’est dans un cachot, lecorps brisé par les tortures que votre amivous écrit; Philocate réfléchissez que lamain qui trace ces caracteres portel’empreinte des fers qui l’accablent . . . Dieu m’a puni, mais quai-je fait aux hommes

and surrounded by power such as the humanmind cannot conceive. Commanding thegenii that guide the world, happy in thehappiness that I created, I enjoyed withinthe bosom of an adored family the felicitywhich the Eternal accords to His belovedchildren. One moment destroyedeverything. I spoke, and it all vanished likea cloud. O my son, follow not in my steps . .. Let no vain desire to shine before menbring you, too, to disaster . . . Think of me,your friend, writing to you from thisdungeon, my body broken by torture!Remember, Philochatus, that the handwhich traces these characters bears themarks of the chains which weigh it down.God has punished me, but what have I done

cruels qui me persécutent? Quel droit ont ilspour interroger le ministre de l’Eternel? ils me demandent quelles sont les preuves dema 'mission, mes témoins sont des prodiges,mes deffensseurs mes vertus, une vieintacte, un coeur pur, que dis-je ai-je encorele droit de me plaindre, j’ai parlé le tres haut ma livré sans force et sans puissance auxfureurs de lavare fanatisme, le bras qui jadispouvoit renverser une armée, peut à peineaujourd’hui soulever les chaines qui l’appesantisent.

Je mégare je dois rendre grace a l’éternelleJustice . . . le dieu vengeur à pardonné à sonenfant repentant un esprit Aerien à franchitles murs qui me séparent du monde;resplendissant de lumiere, il s’est présenté devant moi il a fixé le terme de ma captivité. . . dans deux ans mes malheurs finirontmes bourreaux en entrant dans mon cachotle trouveront désert et bientot purifié par les4 élémens . . . pur comme le

to the cruel men that persecute me? Whatright have they to interrogate the minister ofthe Eternal? They ask me what are theproofs of my mission. My witnesses areprodigies, and my virtues are mydefenders—a clean life, a pure heart. Butwhat am I saying! Have I still the right tocomplain? I spoke, and the Lord deliveredme, deprived of strength and power, to thefuries of greedy fanaticism. The arm whichonce could overthrow an army can todayhardly lift the chains that weigh it down.

I wander. I should give thanks to eternalJustice . . . The avenging God has pardonedHis repentant child. An aerial spirit hasentered through the walls which separate mefrom the world; he has shown himself to meresplendent with light and has determinedthe duration of my captivity. Within twoyears my sufferings will end. My torturersupon entering my cell will find it emptyand, soon purified

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génie du feu je reprendrai le rang glorieuxou la bonté Divine ma élevé mais combience terme est encore éloigné combien deuxannées parois-sent longues à celui qui lespasse dans les souffrances, dans leshumiliations, non contens de me fairesouffrir les supplices les plus horribles mespersécuteurs ont employé pour metourmenter des moyens plus surs plusodieux encore, ils ont appellé l’infamie sur ma tête, ils ont fait de mon nom un objetd’opprobre, les enfants des hommes reculent avec effroi quand le hazard les afait approcher des murs de ma prison, ilscraignent qu’une vapeur mortelle nes’échappe par louverture etroite qui laisse passer comme a regret un rayon de lumièredans mon cachot. Ô Philocate . . . c’est la le

by the four elements, pure as the genius offire, I shall resume the glorious station towhich Divine goodness has raised me. Buthow distant as yet is this time! How longtwo years seem to one who spends them insuffering and humiliation. Not content withmaking me undergo the most horribleagony, my oppressors, to torture me furtherhave devised still surer, still more revoltingmeans. They have brought infamy on myhead, have made my name a thing ofdisgrace. The children of men recoil interror when by chance they approach thewalls of my prison; they fear lest somedeadly vapour escape through the narrowslit that reluctantly admits a ray of light tomy cell. That, O Philochatus, is the cruelestof all blows that they could bear down upon

coup le plus cruel dont ils pouvoientm’accabler . . .

Jignore encore si je pourrai vous faireparvenir cet ouvrage . . . Je juge desdifficultés que j’eprouverai pour le faire sortir de ce lieu de tourmens, par celles qu’il a fallu vaincre pour le terminer, privé detout secours jai moi même composé lesagens qui métaient nécessaires. Le feu dema lampe quelques pièces de monnaies etpeu de subsubstances chimiques échappéesaux regards scrutateurs de mes bourreauxont produit les couleurs qui ornent ce fruitdes loisirs d’un prisonnier.

Profitez des instructions de votremalheureux ami. elles sont tellement clairesqu’il seroit a craindre que cet écrit tombat en dautres mains que les votres . . .souvenez vous seulement que tout doit vousservir . . . une ligne mal expliquée uncaractere oublié, vous empêcheroient delever le voile que la main du créateur à poséSur le Sphinx.

me.

I know not whether I shall be able to get thisdocument into your hands . . . I judge thedifficulty I shall have in contriving for it away out of this place of torture by those Ihave had in order to write it. Deprived of allhelp, I myself have composed the agents Ineeded. The flame of my lamp, some coins,and a few chemical substances overlookedby the scrutinizing eyes of my tormentorshave yielded the colours which adorn thisfruit of a prisoner’s leisure.

Profit by the instructions of your unhappyfriend! They are so clear that danger existsfor them to fall into hands other than yours .. . Remember only that all of it is to serveyou . . . an obscure line, an omittedcharacter would prevent your lifting the veilwhich the hand of the Creator has placedover the Sphinx.

p. 39

Adieu Philocate ne me plaignez pas laclemence de l’Eternel égale sa justice. àla premiere assemblée mystérieuse vousreverez votre ami. Je vous salue en Dieu,bientôt je donnerai le baiser de paix à monfrère.

Adieu, Philochatus! Do not mourn me. Theclemency of the Eternal equals His justice.At the first mysterious assembly you willsee your friend again. I salute you in thename of God. Soon I shall give the kiss ofpeace to my brother.

SECTION TWO

IL étoit nuit la lune cachée par des nuagessombres ne jettoit qu’une lueur incertaine sur les blocs de lave qui environnent laSolfatara, la tête couverte du voile de Lin,tenant dans mes mains le rameau d’or je m’avançais sans crainte vèrs le lieu ou javois reçu l’ordre de passer la nuit. Errant sur un sable brûlant je le sentois a chaqueinstant s’affaisser sous mes pas les nuages s’ammoncelaient . . . sur ma tête, l’éclair

IT WAS night. The moon, veiled by darkclouds, cast but an uncertain light on thecrags of lava that hemmed in the Solfatara.My head covered with the linen veil,holding in my hands the golden bough, Iadvanced without fear toward the spotwhere I had been ordered to pass the night. Iwas groping over hot sand which I felt giveway under my every step. The cloudsgathered overhead. Lightning flashed

sillonnait la nue, et donnait une teintesanglante aux flammes du volcan . . . Enfinj’arrive, je trouve un autel de fer j’y place le rameau mysteriéux . . . Je prononce les motsredoutables . . . à l’instant la terre tremble sous mes pieds le tonnerre éclate . . . lesmugissements du Vésuve

• répondent à ces coups redoublés ses feux se joignent aux feux de la foudre . . . lescoeurs des Genies s’élevent dans les airs et font répéter aux échos les louanges ducréateur . . . la branche consacrée quej’avais placé sur l’autel triangulaire s’enflâme tout à coup une épaisse fumée m’environne, je cesse de voir, plongé dans les ténebres je crus descendre dans unabime, Jignore combien de temps je restaidans cètte

through the night and gave to the flames ofthe volcano a bloodlike appearance. At last Iarrived and found an iron altar where Iplaced the mysterious bough . . . Ipronounce the formidable words . . .instantly the earth trembles under my feet,thunder peals . . . Vesuvius roars in answerto the repeated strokes; its fires join the firesof lightning . . . The choirs of the genii riseinto the air and make the echoes repeat thepraises of the Creator . . . The hallowedbough which I had placed on the triangularaltar suddenly is ablaze. A thick smokeenvelops me. I cease to see. Wrapped indarkness, I seemed to descend into an abyss.I know not how long I remained in thatsituation. When I opened my eyes, I

p. 42

situation mais en ouvrant les yeux, jecherchai vainement les objets quim’entouraient quelquetems auparavant; l’autel le Vésuve la campagne de Naples avoient fui loin de mes yeux j’étois dans unvaste souterrain, seul, éloigné du mondeentier . . . près de moi était une robe longue,blanche, son tissu délié me sembla composéde fil de lin, sur une masse de granit etaitposée une lampe de cuivre au dessus unetable noire chargée de caracteres grecsm’indiquaient la route que je devois suivre je pris la lampe et après avoir revetu la robeje m’engageai dans un chemin étroit dont les parois étaient revetus de marbre noir . . .Il avait trois mille de longueur, mes pasretentissaient d’unemaniere effrayante sousces voutes silencieuses enfin je trouvai uneporte elle conduisait à des dégrés, je lesdescendis . . . après avoir marché longtemsje crus appercevoir une lueur errante devantmoi je cachai ma lampe je fixai mes yeux

vainly looked for the objects which hadsurrounded me a little time ago. The altar,Vesuvius, the country round Naples hadvanished far from my sight. I was in a vastcavern, alone, far away from the wholeworld . . . Near by me lay a long, whiterobe; its loosely woven tissue seemed to meto be of linen. On a granite boulder stood acopper lamp upon a black table coveredwith Greek words indicating the way I wasto follow. I took the lamp, and after havingput on the robe I entered a narrow passagethe walls of which were covered with blackmarble . . . It was three miles long and mysteps resounded fearfully under its silentvault. At last I found a door that opened ona flight of steps which I descended. Afterhaving walked a long time I seemed to see awandering light before me. I hid my lampand fixed my eyes on the object which Ibeheld. It dissipated, vanishing like a

sur l’objet que j’entre, voyais il se dissipa s’évanouit comme une ombre.

Sans reproches sur le passé sans crainte surl’avenir je continuai ma route elle devenait de plus en plus penible . . . toujours engagédans des galeries composées de quartiers depierres noires. . . je n’osais fixer le terme de mon voyage souterrain enfin après unemarche immense, jarrivai à une placequarrée: une porte souvrait au milieu dechacune de ses quatre faces elles étaient decouleur différente et placée chacune à l’un des quatre points cardinaux, j’entrai par celle du septentrion elle étoit noire, celle quime faisoit face étoit rouge, la porte del’orient étoit bleue, celle qui lui etait opposée etait d’une blancheur éclatante

shadow.

Without reproach of the past, without fearof the future, I went on. The way becameincreasingly difficult . . . always confinedwithin galleries composed of black stoneblocks . . . I did not dare to guess at thelength of my underground travel. At last,after a long, long march I came to a squarechamber. A door in the middle of each of itsfour sides opened; they were of differentcolours, and each door was placed at one ofthe four cardinal points. I entered throughthe north door which was black; theopposite one was red; the door to the eastwas blue and the one facing it was ofdazzling white . . . In the middle of thischamber

p. 43

. . au centre de cette salle était une massequarrée, une étoile de cristal brillait sur sonmilieu. On voyait une peinture sur la faceseptentrionale elle représentait une femmenue jusqu’a la ceinture, une draperie noire lui tomboit sur les genoux deux bandesd’argent ornaient son vêtement, dans samain était une baguette, elle la posoit sur lefront d’un homme placé vis-à-vis d’elle. une table terminée par un seul pied était entreeux deux sur la table était une coupe et unfer de lance, Une flame soudaine s’élevait de terre. et sembloit se diriger vers l’homme une inscription expliquait le sujet de cettepeinture. Une autre m’indiquait les moyens que je devois employer pour sortir de cettesalle.

Je voulus me retirer après avoir considéré letableau et l’étoile, jallais entrer dans la porte rouge quand tournant sur ses gonds avec unbruit épouvantable elle se referma devantmoi, je voulois tenter la même épreuve sur

was a square mass; on its center shone acrystal star. On the north side was a paintingrepresenting a woman naked to the waist; ablack drapery fell over her knees and twosilver bands adorned her garment. In herhand was a rod which she placed against theforehead of a man facing her across a tablewhich stood on a single support and bore acup and a lance-head. A sudden flame rosefrom the ground and seemed to turn towardthe man. An inscription explained thispicture; another indicated the means I wasto employ in order to leave this chamber.

After having contemplated the picture andthe star I was about to pass through the reddoor when, turning on its hinges withterrific noise, it closed before me. I madethe same attempt with the door of sky-bluecolour; it did not close but a sudden noiseinduced me to turn my head. I saw the starflicker, rise from its place, revolve, then dartrapidly through the opening of the white

celle que décoroit la couleur de ciel, elle nese ferma point mais un bruit soudain me fitdétourner la tête, je vis l’étoile sagiter,ellese détache, roule et se plonge rapidementdans l’ouverture de la porte blanche, je la suivis aussitôt.

door. I followed it at once.

SECTION THREE

UN vent impétueux s’éleva jeus peine a conserver ma lampe allumée enfin unperron de marbre blanc s’offrit à ma vue j’y

A STRONG wind arose and I had difficultyin keeping my lamp alight. At last I saw awhite marble platform to which I mounted

montai par neuf marches arrivé à la dernierej’apperçus une immense étendue d’eau; des torrens impétueux se faisaient entendre à madroite, à gauche une pluie froide mellée demasses de grêle tombait près de moi jeconsidérais cètte sçene majestueuse quandl’étoile qui m’avait guidé sur le perron et qui se balançait lentement sur ma tête seplongea dans le gouffre je crus lire lesordres du très haut je me precipitai aumilieu des vagues une main invisible saisitma lampe et la posa sur le sommet de matête. Je fendis l’onde écumeuse et m’efforçai de gagner le point opposé à celui dont j’étois parti, enfin je vis à l’horison une foible clarté, je me hatai, jétois au milieudes eaux et la sueur couvroit mon visage, jemépuisais en vains efforts la rive que jepouvois à peine appercevoir sembloit fuirdevant moi à mesure que j’avançais, mes forces m’abandonnaient, je ne craignois pas de mourir, mais de mourir sans être illuminé. . . je perdis courage et levant vèrs la voutemes yeux baignés de pleurs. Je m’écriai "Judica judicium

by nine steps. Arrived at the last one Ibeheld a vast expanse of water. To my rightI heard the impetuous tumbling of torrents;to my left a cold rain mixed with masses ofhail fell near me. I was contemplating thismajestic scene when the star which hadguided me to the platform and which wasslowly swinging overhead, plunged into thegulf. Believing that I was reading thecommands of the Most High, I threw myselfinto the midst of the waves. An invisiblehand seized my lamp and placed it on thecrown of my head. I breasted the foamywave and struggled to reach the sideopposite the one which I had left. At last Isaw on the horizon a feeble gleam andhastened forward. Perspiration streameddown my face and I exhausted myself invain efforts. The shore which I couldscarcely discern seemed to recede to thedegree 1 advanced. My strength was ebbing.I feared not to die, but to die withoutillumination . . . I lost courage, and lifting tothe vault my tear-streaming eyes

p. 46

meum et redime me, propter eloquium tuumvivifica me," à peine pouvois-je agiter mesmembres fatigués j’enfonçais de plus enplus quand j’apperçus près de moi une barque, un homme couvert de riches habits,la conduisoit, je remarquai que la proueetoit tournée vèrs la rive que j’avois quitté, il s’approcha, une couronne d’or brillait sur son front vade me cum me dit-il, mecumprincipium in terris, instruam te in via hacqua gradueras. Je lui répondis à l’instant bonum est sperare in Domino quamconsidere in principibus . . . à l’instant la barque et le monarque s’abimerent dans le fleuve une force nouvelle sembla coulerdans mes veines je parvins à gagner le bût

I cried out: "Judica judicium meum etredime me, propter eloquium tuum vivificame." (Judge thou my judgment and redeemme, by thy eloquence make me live.) I couldhardly move my tired limbs and was sinkingmore and more when near me I saw a boat.A richly dressed man guided it. I noticedthat the prow was turned toward the shorewhich I had left. He drew near. A goldencrown shone on his forehead. "Vade mecum," said he, "mecum principium in terris,instruam to in via hac qua gradueris."(Come with me, with me, the foremost inthe world; I will show thee the way thoumust follow.) I instantly answered him:"Bonum est sperare in Domino quam

de mes fatigues, je me trouvai sur un rivagesemé de sable vert. Un mur d’argent étoit devant moi deux lames de marbre rougeétaient incrustées dans son épaisseur,j’approchai l’une était chargé de caracteressacrés sur l’autre étoit gravée une ligne de lettres grecques entre les deux lames etait uncercle de fer deux lions, l’un rouge et l’autre noir, reposaient sur des nuages et semblaientgarder une couronne d’or placée au dessus deux, on voyoit encore près du cercle un arcet deux fleches je lus quelques caracteresécrits sur les flancs d’un des lions. à peine avais-je observé ces différens emblêmes,qu’ils disparurent avec la muraille qui les contenait.

considere in principibus."(It is better to trustin the Lord than to sit among the mighty.)Whereupon the boat sank and the monarchwith it. Fresh energy seemed to coursethrough my veins and I gained the goal ofmy efforts. I found myself on a shorecovered with green sand. A silver wall wasbefore me inlaid with two panels of redmarble. Approaching I noticed on one ofthem sacred script, the other being engravedwith a line of Greek letters; between the twoplates was an iron circle. Two lions, one redand the other black, rested on clouds andappeared to guard a golden crown abovethem. Also near the circle were to be seen abow and two arrows. I read severalcharacters written on the flanks of one ofthe lions. I had barely observed thesedifferent emblems when they vanishedtogether with the wall which containedthem.

SECTION FOUR

A sa place un lac de feu se présenta devantmoi, le soufre et le bitume roulaient leursflots enflammés je frémis, une voixéclatante m’ordonna de traverser ces flammes, j’obeis et les flammes semblerent avoir perdu leur activité longtems jemarchai au milieu de l’incendie, arrivé dans un espace circulaire, je contemplai lepompeux spectacle dont la bonté du cieldaignait me faire jouir.

Quarante colonnes de feu décoraient la salledans laqu’elle je me trouvois un coté des colonnes brilloit d’un feu blanc et vif, l’autre sembloit dans l’ombre une flamme noirâtre le couvrait; au centre de ce lieus’elevait un autel en forme de serpent, un or verd embel, lissoit son écaille diaprée sur laqu’elle se réflettaient les flammes qui l’environ, naient, ses yeux semblaient des rubis, une inscription argentée etait posée

IN its place a lake of fire presented itself tomy sight. Sulphur and bitumen rolled inflaming waves. I trembled. A loud voicecommanded me to pass through the flames.I obeyed, and the flames seemed tb havelost their power. For a long time I walkedwithin the conflagration. Arrived at acircular space I contemplated the gorgeousspectacle which by the grace of heaven itwas given me to enjoy.

Forty columns of fire ornamented the hall inwhich I found myself. One side of thecolumns shone with a white and vivid fire,the other side seemed to be in shadow; ablackish flame covered it. In the center ofthis place stood an altar in the form of aserpent. A greenish gold embellished itsdiapered scales in which the surroundingflames were reflected. Its eyes looked likerubies. A silvery inscription was placed near

près de lui. Une riche épée était plantée enterre près du serpent, une coupe reposoit sursa tête . . . J’entendis le coeur des esprits célestes, une voix me dit le terme be testravaux approche, prends le glaive, frappele serpent.

it and a rich sword had been driven into theground near the serpent, on whose headrested a cup . . . I heard the choir of thecelestial spirits and a voice said to me: "Theend of thy labours draws near. Take thesword and smite the serpent."

Je tirai l’épée de son fourreau et m’approchant de l’autel je pris la coupe d’une main et de l’autre je portai un coup terrible sur le col du serpent, l’épée rebondit, le coup raisonna comme si javoisfrappé une cloche d’airain, à peine avois-jeobéi a la voix que l’autel disparût les colonnes se perdirent dans l’immensité, le

I drew the sword from its sheath andapproaching the altar I took the cup withone hand and with the other I struck aterrific blow upon the neck of the serpent.The sword rebounded and the blow re-echoed as if I had struck on a brass bell. Nosooner had I obeyed the voice than the altardisappeared and the columns vanished in

son que j’avois entendu en frappant l’autel se répéta comme si mille coups etaientfrappés en même temps, une main me saisitpar les cheveux et m’éleva vers la voute, elle souvrit pour me livrer passage, desvains fantômes se présenterent devant moi,des Hydres, des Lamies m’entourerent de serpens, la vue de l’epée que je tenois à la main écarta cette foule immonde comme lespremiers rayons du jour dissipent les songesfrêles enfans de la nuit. Après être montépar une ligne perpendiculaire à travers lescouches qui composent les parrois du globe.Je revis la lumière du Jour.

boundless space. The sound which I hadheard when striking the altar repeated itselfas if a thousand blows had been struck at thesame time. A hand seized me by the hairand lifted me toward the vault which openedto let me through. Shadowy phantomsappeared before me—Hydras, Lamias andserpents surrounded me. The sight of thesword in my hand scattered the foul throngeven as the first rays of light dissipate thefrail dream-children of the night. Aftermounting straight upward through the layersthat composed the walls of the globe, I sawagain the light of day.

SECTION FIVE

A PEINE étais-je parvenu à la surface de laterre, que mon conducteur invisiblem’entraina plus rapidement encore, la vélocité avec laqu’, elle nous parcourions les espaces aeriens ne peut être comparée àrien qu’a elle même; en un instant j’eus perdu de vue les plaines sur les qu’elles jedominais . . . j’avais observé avec étonnement, que j’étais sorti du sein de la terre loin des campagnes de Naples uneplaine déserte quelques masses triangulairesétaient les seuls objets que j’eusse apperçu.

SCARCELY had I risen to the surface ofthe earth, when my unseen guide led me stillmore swiftly. The velocity with which wesped through space can be compared withnaught but itself. In an instant I had lostsight of the plains below. I noticed withastonishment that I had emerged from thebowels of the earth far from the countryabout Naples. A desert and some triangularmasses were the only objects I could see.Soon, in spite of the trials which I hadundergone, a new terror assailed me. The

Bientot malgré les épreuves que j’avois subies, une nouvelle terreur vint m’assaillir, la terre ne me semblait plus qu’un nuage confus, j’étois élevé à une hauteur immense mon guide invisible m’abandonna je redescendis pendant un assez long tems jeroulai dans l’espace; déja la terre se deployait a mes regards troublés . . . jepouvois calculer combien de minutes sepasseraient avant que j’aille me briser contre un rocher. Bientot prompt comme lapensée mon conducteur se précipe aprèsmoi il me reprend m’enleve encore une fois, il me laisse retomber, enfin il m’eleve avec lui à une distance incommensurable, jevoyois des globes rouler autour de moi, desterres

earth seemed to me only a vague cloud. Ihad been lifted to a tremendous height. Myinvisible guide left me and I descendedagain. For quite a long time I rolled throughspace; already the earth spread out beforemy confused vision . . . I could estimatehow many minutes would pass until I wouldbe crushed on the rocks. But quick asthought my guide darts down beside me,takes hold of me, lifts me up again, andagain lets me fall. Finally he raises me withhim to an immeasurable distance. I sawglobes revolve around me and earthsgravitate at my feet. Suddenly the geniuswho bore me touched my eyes and Iswooned. I know not

p. 52

graviter à mes peids tout à coup le genie quime portois me touche les yeux, je perdis lesentiment. J’ignore combien de temps je passai en cet etat, à mon reveil je me trouvaicouché sur un riche coussin, des fleurs desaromates, embaumaient l’air que je respirais . . . Une robe bleu semée d’étoiles d’or avoit remplacé le vetement de lin. vis-à-vis demoi était un autel Jaune. un feu pûr s’en exallait sans qu’aucune autre substance que l’autel même l’alimentat. Des caracteres noirs etaient gravés sur sa baze. Auprès etoitun flambeau allumé qui brilloit comme lesoleil, au dessus etoit un oiseau dont lespieds etaient noirs, le corps d’argent; la tête rouge les ailes noires et Le Col d’or. Il s’agitait sans cesse mais sans faire usage de ses ailes. Il ne pouvoit voler que lorsqu’il se trouvoit au milieu des flammes. dans sonbec etoit une branche verte son nom est

how long I remained in this condition.When I awoke I was lying on a luxuriouscushion; the air I breathed was saturatedwith the fragrance of flowers . . . A bluerobe spangled with golden stars hadreplaced my linen garment. A yellow altarstood opposite me from which a pure flameascended having no other substance for itsalimentation than the altar itself. Letters inblack were engraved at the base of the altar.A lighted torch stood beside it, shining likethe sun; hovering above it was a bird withblack feet, silvery body, a red head, blackwings and a golden neck. It was in constantmotion without however using its wings. Itcould only fly when in the midst of theflames. In its beak was a green branch; itsname is

the name of the altar is

celui de l’autel est

l’autel, l’oiseau et le flambeau sont le simbole de tout, rien ne peut être fait sanseux, eux même sont tout ce qui est bon etgrand. le flambeau se nomme

Quatre inscriptions entouraient cesdifférents emblêmes.

Altar, bird and torch are the symbol of allthings. Nothing can be done without them.They themselves are all that is good andgreat. The name of the torch is

Four inscriptions surrounded these differentemblems.

SECTION SIX

JE me détournai et j’apperçus un palais immense, sa baze reposoit sur des nuages,des marbres composaient sa masse; saforme étoit triangulaire quatre étages decolonnes s’élevaient les uns sur les autres.Une boule dorée terminoit cet édifice lepremier rang de colonne étoit blanc, lesecond noir, le troisieme verd le dernieretoit d’un rouge brillant, je voulus après avoir admiré cet ouvrage des artisteséternels retourner au lieu oùetoient l’autel, l’Oiseau et le flambeau, je voulois encore les observer ils étoient disparus, je lescherchois des yeux quand les portes dupalais s’ouvrirent, un vieillard vénérable en sortit, sa robe etoit semblable à la mienneexcepté qu’un soleil dorébrilloit sur sapoitrine sa main droite tenoit une brancheverte, l’autre soutenoit un encensoir, une chaine de bois etoit attachée à son col unethiare pointue comme celle de Zoroastrecouvroit sa tête blanchie il s’approcha de moi; le sourire de la bienveillance erroit sur

I TURNED aside and noticed an immensepalace the base of which rested on clouds.Its mass was composed of marble and itsform was triangular. Four tiers of columnswere raised one above the other. A goldenball topped the edifice. The first tier ofcolumns was white, the second black, thethird green and the last one a brilliant red. Iintended, after having admired this work ofimmortal artists, to return to the place of thealtar, the bird and the torch; I desired tostudy them further. They had disappearedand with my eyes I was searching for themwhen the doors of the palace opened. Avenerable old man came forth clad in a robelike mine, except that a golden sun shone onhis breast. His right hand held a greenbranch, the other upheld a censer. A woodenchain was about his neck and a pointed tiaralike that of Zoroaster covered his whitehead. He came toward me, a benevolentsmile on his lips. "Adore God" said he to mein Persian. "It is He who sustained thee in

ses levres, Adore Dieu me dit-il en languePersane, c’est lui qui ta soutenu dans les épreuves son esprit

thy trials; His spirit was with thee. My son,thou hast let

étoit avec toi, mon fils,tu as laissé fuirl’occasion tu pouvais à l’instant saisir l’oiseau

slip by the opportunity. Thou couldst haveseized instantly the bird,

le flambeau,

et l’autel

tu serois serois devenu à la fois Autel,Oiseau et Flambeau. Il faut à présent pourparvenir au lieu le plus secret du Palais dessciences sublimes que tu en parcours tousles détours. viens . . . Je dois avant tout teprésenter à mes frères. Il me prit la main etm’introduisit dans une vaste salle.

Des yeux vulgaires ne peuvent concevoir laforme et la richesse des orne-mens quil’embellissoient trois cent soixante colonnesl’entouraient de toutes parts, au plafond étoit une croix rouge, blanche, bleue etnoire. un anneau d’or la soutenoit. Au centre de la salle étoit un autel triangulairecomposé des quatre élemens sur ses troispoints étaient posés l’oiseau, l’autel et le flambeau. Ils ont changé de nom me dit monguide, ici on nomme l’oiseau

l’autel

et le flambeau

the torch

and the altar

Thou wouldst have become altar, bird andtorch at one and the same time. Now, inorder to arrive at the most secret place of thePalace of sublime sciences, it will benecessary for thee to pass through all by-ways. Come . . . I must first of all presentthee to my brothers." He took me by thehand and led me into a vast hall.

The eyes of the vulgar cannot conceive theform and richness of the ornaments whichembellished it. Three hundred and sixtycolumns enclosed it on all sides. Suspendedfrom a golden ring in the ceiling was a crossof red, white, blue and black. In the centerof the hall was a triangular altar composedof the four elements; on its three pointswere placed the bird, the altar and the torch."Their names are now changed," said myguide. Here the bird is called

the altar

and the torch

la salle est appellée

l’autel triangulaire

The hall is called

and the triangular altar

p. 56

Autour de l’autel etaient placés quatre-vingt-un Thrônes; on montait à chacun parneuf marches de hauteur inégale; deshousses rouges les couvraient.

Pendant que j’examinois les thrônes, le son d’une trompette se fit entendre: a ce bruitles portes de la salle

tournerent sur leurs gonds pour laisserpasser soix an t ed i xn e u f personnes,toutes vetues comme mon conducteur. Elless’approcherent lentement et s’assirent sur les thrônes, mon guide se tint de bout auprèsde moi. Un viellard distingué de ses frèrespar un manteau de pourpre dont les bordsetaient chargée de caracteres en broderies,se leva et mon guide prenant la parole enlangue sacrée Voila dit-il un de nos enfansque Dieu veut rendre aussi grand que sesperes. Que la volanté du seigneurs’accomplisse répondit le vieillard. Mon fils ajoutatil en s’adressant à moi votre temps

Around the altar were placed eighty-onethrones, to each of which one mounted bynine steps of unequal height, the treadsbeing covered with red carpets.

While I was examining the thrones, atrumpet sounded whereupon the doors ofthe hall

swung on theirhinges to let pass seventy-nine persons, all attired like my guide.Slowly they came near and seatedthemselves on the thrones while my guidestood beside me. An old man, distinguishedfrom his brothers by a purple mantle thehem of which was covered withembroidered characters, arose, and myguide, addressing them in the sacred tongue,said: "Behold one of our children whom it isthe will of God to make as great as hisfathers." "May the will of the Lord bedone," responded the old man, and turningto me he added: "My son, the time of thy

d’épreuves physiques est accompli . . . Il vous reste à faire de grands voyage,désormais vous vous appellerez

avant de parcourir cet édifice, huit de mesfrères et moi allons vous faire chacun unprésent il vint à moi et me donna avec lebaiser de paix. un cûbed e terre grise on lenomme

le second trois cylindres de pierre noireappelée

physical trials is now ended . . . Thereremain long journeys for thee to undertake.Henceforth thy name shall be

Before thou visit this edifice, each of myeight brothers and myself will present theewith a gift." He walked up to me and withthe kiss of peace gave me a cube of greyearth called

the second gave me three cylinders of blackstone called

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le troisième un morçeau de cristal arrondi,on l’appelle

le quatrieme une aigrette de plumes bleuesnommée

le cinquieme y joignit un vase d’argent, qui porte le nom de

the third a small piece of rounded crystalcalled

the fourth a crest of blue plumes named

the fifth added a silver vase which carriesthe name of

le sixieme une grappe de raisin connueparmi les sages sous le nom de

le septième me presenta une figure d’oiseau semblable pour la forme à

mais il n’avoit pas ses brillantes couleurs, il étoit d’argent, il porte le même nom me dit-il, c’est à toi a lui donner les mêmes vertus. le huitième me donna un petit autelressemblant aussi à l’autel

enfin mon conducteur me mit dans main unflambeau composé comme

de particules brillantes mais il etoit eteint.c’est à toi ajoutatil comme ceux qui l’avoient précédé à lui donner les mêmes vertus, réfléchis sur ces dons, me dit ensuitele chef des sages tous tendent également à laperfection, mais nul n’est parfait par lui même, c’est de leur mélange que doit sortir l’ouvrage divin. Sache encore que tous sont nuls si tu ne les emploie suivant l’ordre dans le qu’el ils t’ont

the sixth gave me a cluster of grapes knownby the sages under the name of

the seventh presented me with the figure ofa bird similar in its form to

but it had not its brilliant hues; it was ofsilver. "It has the same name," he said tome; "it is for thee to give it the samevirtues." The eighth gave me a small altar,resembling the altar

Finally my guide placed in my hand a torchcomposed, like

of brilliant particles; however, it was notlighted. "It is for thee," he added, "like thosethat have preceded it to give it the samevirtues." "Reflect on these gifts" then saidthe chief sage. "They all lead equally toperfection, but none of them is perfect initself. It is from their admixture that thedivine product must come. Know also thatall of them are null if thou employ them notin the order in which thou hast receivedthem. The second, which serves for the useof the first, remains merely

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été donné le second qui sert a employer lepremier ne seroit qu’une matiere brute sans chaleur, sans utilité sans le secours de celuiqui vient après lui, garde soigneusement lesprésens que tu as reçu et commence lesvoyages après avoir bû dans la coupe de vie.Il me présenta dans une coupe de cristal uneliqueur brillante et safranée son gout étoitdelicieux un parfum exquis s’en éxalloit. Je voulus rendre la coupe après avoir trempémes levres dans la liqueur . . . achêve me ditle vieillard, ce breuvage sera la seulenouriture que tu prendras pendant le tempsde tes voyages. J’obéis et je sentis un feu divin parcourir tous les fibres de mon corps,j’étois plus fort, plus courageux, mesfacultés même intellectuelles, semblaientêtre doublées.

Je me hatai de donner le salut des sages àl’auguste assemblée que j’allais quitter, et par les ordres de mon conducteur, jem’enfonçai dans une longue galerie qui se trouvoit à ma droite.

crude matter without warmth and withoutusefulness unless in its turn it is aided bythat which comes after it. Guard carefullythe gifts thou hast received and set out uponthy journeys after thou hast drunk from thecup of life." Hereupon he handed me in acrystal cup a shining liquor of saffron hue;its taste was delicious and it emitted anexquisite aroma. I was about to hand the cupback to him after moistening my lips in theliquor, when the old man said: "Drink it all;it will be thy only nourishment during thyjourneys." I obeyed and felt a divine firecourse through all the fibers of my body. Iwas stronger, braver; even my intellectualpowers seemed doubled.

I hastened to give the greeting of the wisemen to the august assembly I was about toleave, and at my guide’s command I entered a long gallery on my right hand.

SECTION SEVEN

A L’entrée de la galerie dans la qu’elle je me trouvois étoit posée une cuve d’acier, a mon approche elle se remplit d’une eau pure comme le cristal, qui vint s’épurer sur unsable blanc et fin. la cuve étoit ovale; Elleétoit soutenue sur trois pieds d’airain. une lame noire incrustée sur le coté qui regardoitla porte renfermoit quelques caractères. prèsde la cuve etoit un voile de lin. au dessusd’elle deux colonnes de marbre vertsupportoit une plaque de marbre arrondie.

AT the entrance of this gallery stood an ovalsteel vessel which upon my approach filledwith crystal-clear water, purified by finewhite sand. The vessel rested on three brassfeet. A black panel had engraved on itseveral characters on the side facing thedoor. Near the vessel was a linen veil andabove the vessel two green marble columnssupported a round marble placque. One sawthere, surrounded by two inscriptions, thefigure of the sacred seal formed of a cross in

On y voyoit entourée de deux inscriptions lafigure du cachet sacré. . . formée d’une croix de quatre coleurs, attachée à unetraverse d’or qui soutient1 deux autrescercles concentriques le plus grand, noir.l’autre rouge. à l’une des colonnes étoit attachée une hache d’argent dont la hampe étoit bleue elle s’appelle

après avoir lû les inscriptions, jem’approchai de la cuve et je my lavai, en commençant par les mains, je finis par m’y plonger, tout entier. J’y restai trois jours, en sortant de l’eau je m’apperçus qu’elle avoit

four colours, attached to a golden crosspiecewhich upheld 2 two other concentric circles,the larger one being black, the other red. Toone of the columns was attached a silver axwith a blue handle; it is called

After reading the inscriptions I went up tothe vessel and washed, first my hands, butfinished by plunging in bodily. I stayedthere three days, and on coming out of thewater I saw that it had lost its transparency.Its sand had become grayish and rust-coloured particles stirred in

perdu sa transparence. son sable étoitdevenu grisâtre, des particules couleur derouille s’agittaient dans le fluide. Je voulus me secher avec le secours du voile de lin,mais de nouvelles gouttes d’eau remplaçaient sans cesse celles dont le linges’imbibait je renonçai à me sécher avec le voile et metenant à l’ombre j’y restai immobile pendant six jours entiers; au boutde ce temps la source de ces eaux fut tarie jeme trouvai sec et plus leger quoique mesforces me parussent augmentées. aprèsm’être promené quelque temps je retournai a la Cuve, l’eauquelle contenoit étoitépuisée, a sa place étoit une liqueur

the fluid. I tried to dry myself with the linenveil but fresh drops of water kept taking theplace of those the linen absorbed. I gave uptrying to dry myself with the veil and,keeping in the shade, I remained theremotionless for six whole days. At the end ofthis time the source of these waters wasexhausted. I found that I was dry and lighterthough my strength seemed to be increased.After walking about for a little while Ireturned to the vessel. The water which hadbeen in it was gone. In its place was areddish liquid; the sand was gray andmetallic. I again bathed in it, being carefulhowever to remain there only a few

rougeâtre, le sable étoit gris et métallique. Jem’y baignai de nouveau, en observant cependant de n’y rester que quelques instans, en me retirant je vis que j’avois absorbé une partie du liquide. cètte fois jene tentai pas de tarir avec le linge, la liqueurdont j’étois imprégné, elle l’auroit détruit à l’instant; tant elle étoit forte et cor, rosive. Je fut à l’autre bout de la gallerie m’étendre sur un lit de sable chaud, j’y passai sept jours au bout de ce temps je revins à la cuvel’eau étoit semblable ala premiere, je m’y replongeai et en ressortis apres m’être lavé avec soin. cètte fois je parvins sans peine àm’essuyer, enfin après m’être purifié selon les instructions que j’avois reçu, je medisposai à sortir de cètte galerie après y êtreresté seize jours.

moments. When stepping out of it I noticedthat I had absorbed part of the liquid. Thistime I did not try to dry myself with thecloth, for the liquor with which I wassaturated was so strong and corrosive that itwould have instantly destroyed the fabric. Ifound myself at the other end of the gallerystretched out on a bed of warm sand where Ispent seven days. After this time I returnedto the vessel. The water was as it had firstappeared. Once more I plunged into it andafter having washed myself carefully, cameout. This time I had no difficulty in dryingmyself. Finally, after having purified myselfaccording to the mstructions I had received,I prepared to leave this gallery in which Ihad spent sixteen days.

Footnotes

59:1 deuxcercles qu’entourent.

59:2 two circles which surround

SECTION EIGHT

JE quittai la galerie par une porte basse etétroite et j’entrai dans un appartement circulaire . . . ses lambris étoient de bois defrêne et de sandal. au fond de l’appartement sur un socle composé de seps de vignereposait une masse de sel blanc et brillant,au dessus étoit un tableau il représentoit unlion blanc couronné. et une grappe de raisin,ils etoient posés sur un même plateau, que lafumée d’un brasier allumé élevoit dans les airs. A ma droite et à ma gauche souvraient

I LEFT the gallery by a low and narrowdoor and entered a circular apartment thepanelling of which was made of ash andsandal wood. At the further end of theapartment on a pedestal composed of thetrunk of a vine lay a mass of white andshining salt. Above was a picture showing acrowned white lion and a cluster of grapes;both rested on a salver sustained in the airby the smoke of a lighted brazier. To myright and left two doors opened, one giving

deux portes l’une donnoit sur une plaine aride. Un vent sec et brulant y régnoit entout temps. l’autre porte souvroit sur un lac à l’extrémité du quel on appercevoit une façade de marbre noir.

Je m’approchai près de l’autel et pris dans mes mains du sel blanc et brillant. que lessages appellent

Je m’en frottai tout le corps. Je m’en pénétrai et après avoir lu les hierogliphesqui accompagnoient le tableau je m’apprêtai a quitter cètte salle. mon premier desseinetoit de sortir Dar la porte aui donnoit

unto an arid plain. A dry and scorchingwind blew over it continually. The otherdoor opened on a lake at the extreme end ofwhich a black marble façade could be seen.

I approached the altar and took into myhands some of the white and shining saltwhich the sages call

and rubbed my entire body with it. Iimpregnated myself with it, and after havingread the hieroglyphics accompanying thepicture I prepared to leave this hall. My firstintention was to leave

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sur la plaine, mais une vapeur brûlante s’en exalloit, je préférai le chemin opposé,j’avois la liberté de choisir, avec la condition cependant de ne pas quitter celuique j’aurois pris . . . Je me décidai à passer le lac, ses eaux étoient sombres etdormantes, j’appercevois bien à une certaine distance un pont nommé

mais je préférai traverser le lac à la longueroute que j’aurois été obligé de faire pouratteindre le pont, en suivant les sinuositésd’un rivage semé de rochers. j’entrai dans l’eau, elle étoit épaisse comme du ciment, je m’apperçus qu’il m’étoit inutile de nager, par tout mes pieds rencontrêrent le sol. Jemarchai dans le lac pendant treize jours.Enfin je parvins à l’autre bord.

by the door opening upon the plain, butthere issued therefrom a hot vapor and Ipreferred the opposite path. I had thefreedom of choice with the condition,however, not to leave the one once chosen. .. I decided to cross the lake; its waters weresombre and sleeping. At a certain distance Iclearly noticed a bridge called

To reach it I would have been obliged tofollow the windings of a shore covered withrocks, and I preferred to cross the lake. Ientered the water which was as thick ascement. I noticed that it was useless for meto swim since my feet touched bottomeverywhere. I walked in the lake for thirteendays. At last I came to the other shore.

SECTION NINE

LA terre étoit d’une couleur foncée comme l’eau dans la qu’elle j’avois voyagé, une pente insensible me conduisit au pied del’édifice que j’avois apperçu de loin, sa forme étoit un quarré long, sur le frontonétoient gravés quelques caracteres,semblables a ceux qu’employaient les Prêtres des anciens Persans. l’édifice entier étoit bâtide Basalte noir dépoli: les portesétoient de bois de ciprès; Elles s’ouvrirent pour me laisser passer; un vent chaud ethumide s’élevant tout à coup me poussa rapidement jusqu’au milieu de la salle et en même temps referma les portes sur moi . . .Je me trouvai dans l’obscurité, peu à peu mes yeux s’accoutumerent au peu de lumiere qui régnoit dans cette enceinte, et jepûs distinguer les objets qui m’entouraient. la voute, les parois, le plancher de la salleétoient noirs comme l’ébène, deux tableaux peints sur la muraille fixerent mon attentionl’un représentoit un cheval tel que les poetes nous peignent celui qui causa la ruine deTroie. De ses flancs entreuverts sortoit uncadavre humain. L’autre peinture offroit l’image d’un homme mort depuis longtems, les vils insectes enfans de la putréfaction,

THE earth was as dark as the water throughwhich I had come. A hardly perceptibleslope led me to the base of the buildingwhich I had seen from afar. On its longsquare front several characters wereengraved like those used by the priests ofancient Persia. The entire building wasmade of rough black basalt; the doors, ofcypress wood, opened to let me pass. Awarm, moist wind arose suddenly andpushed me rapidly to the middle of thechamber at the same time closing the doorsupon me . . . I was in darkness, butgradually my eyes grew accustomed to themeager light which reigned in this enclosureand I was able to discern the surroundingobjects. The vaulting, the walls and the floorof the chamber were as black as ebony. Twomural paintings arrested my attention; onerepresented a horse such as our poetsdescribe as having caused the downfall ofTroy. From its gaping flanks a humancorpse protruded. The other image showed aman long dead. Vile insects bred byputrefaction swarmed over his face anddevoured the substance which had giventhem birth. One of the arms of the deadman, stripped of its flesh, already showed

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s’agittaient sur son visage et dévoraient la substance qui les avoit fait naître, un desbras décharnés de la figure morte, loissoitdéja aperçevoir les os; placé près ducadavre, un homme vetu de rouges’efferçoit de le relever, une étoille brilloit . . . sur son front, des brodequins noirscouvroient ses jambes, trois lames noireschargéesde caractères d’argent etoient posées au dessus, entre et au dessous destableaux. Je les lus, et m’occupai à parcourir

the bones. A man, dressed in red, standingby the corpse, endeavoured to lift it. A starshone on his forehead; his legs wereenclosed in black buskins. Above, betweenand below the picture were three blackpanels bearing silver characters. I read themand then occupied the time by making therounds of the hall where I was to spend ninedays.

In a dark corner I found a pile of black earthwhich was fat and saturated with animal

la salle où je devois passer neuf jours.

Dans un coin plus obscur se trouvoit unmonçeau de terre noire, grasse et saturée departicules animales, je voulus en prendre,une voix éclatante comme le son d’une trompette me le défendit,il n’y a que quatre vingt sept ans que cette terre est posée danscette salle me dit-elle . . . quand treizeautres années seront écoulées, toi et lesautres enfans de Dieu pourront en user. Lavoix se tut mais les derniers sons vibrêrentlong temps dans ce temple du silence et dela mort. Apres y être resté le temps prescritje sortis par la porte opposée à celle par laqu’elle j’étois entré. Je revis la lumiere,mais elle n’étoit pas assez vive autour de la salle noire, pour fatiguer mes yeux habituésà l’obscurité.

Je vis avec étonnement qu’il me falboit pour joindre les autres édifices traverser un lacplus large que le premier, je marchai dansl’eau pendant dix huit jours. Je me souvinsque dans la premiere traversée les eaux dulac devenoient plus noires et plus épaisses àmesure que j avançois, au contraire danscelle ici plus j’approchais de la rive, et plus les eaux s’éclaircissoient. Ma robe qui dans le palais étoit devenue

particles. I was about to take some of itwhen a thundering voice, like the sound of atrumpet, forbade me to do so, saying: "Thisearth has lain in this hall only eighty-sevenyears; when thirteen more years haveelapsed, thou and the other children of Godmay use it." The voice fell silent, but its lastringing sounds continued to vibrate a longtime in that temple of silence and death.After remaining in it the time prescribed, Ideparted by the door opposite to the onethrough which I had entered. I again saw thelight, but it was not so strong around theblack hall as to tire my eyes habituated todarkness.

I saw with surprise that in order to reach theother buildings I should have to cross awider lake than the first one. For eighteendays I walked in the water. I recalled thatwhen crossing the first lake its watersbecame darker and thicker as I advanced.The waters of this lake, on the contrary,became ever clearer the closer I approachedthe shore. My robe, which had in the palacebecome as black as the walls, seemed

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noire comme les murailles me parut alorsd’une teinte grisâtre, elle reprit peu à peu ses couleurs, cependant elle n’étoit pas entierement bleue, mais approchant d’un beau verd.

Après dix huit jours je montai sur le rivagepar un perron de marbre blanc; la salle estnommée

to me to be of a grayish hue; gradually itresumed its colours; however, it did notbecome entirely blue but was nearer to abeautiful green.

After eighteen days I ascended theembankment by means of a white marbleplatform. The name of the hall is

le premier lac

le second

the first lake

the second

SECTION TEN

AQUEL que distance du rivage un palaissomptueux élevoit dans les airs ses colonnesd’albâtre, ses différentes parties étoient jointes par des portiques couleur de feu,tous l’édifice étoit d’une architecture légère et aérienne. Je m’approchai des portes, sur le fronton était représenté un papillon. Lesportes étoient ouvertes. J’entrai, le palais entier ne formait qu’une seule salle . . . trois rangs de colonnes l’entouraient, chaquerang était composé de vingt sept colonnesd’albâtre. Au centre de l’édifice était une figure d’homme, elle sortait d’un tombeau sa main appuyée sur une lance frappait lepierre qui la renfermait autrefois, unedraperie verte, ceignit ses reins l’or brillait au bas de son vêtement sur sa poitrine étaitune table quarrée, sur laquelle je distinguaiquelques lettres. Au dessus de la figure étaitsuspendue une couronne d’or, elle semblait s’élever dans les airs pour la saisir. Au dessus de la couronne étoit une table depierre jaune, sur la qu’elle étoient gravés quelques emblêmes, je les expliquai par lesecours de l’inscription que j’apperçus sur

AT some distance from the shore asumptuous palace raised aloft its alabastercolumns; its different parts were joined byporticos of flame colour. The entire edificewas of light and airy architecture. As Iapproached the portals, I saw that the frontwas decorated with the figure of a butterfly.The doors stood open . . . I entered. Theentire palace consisted of a single hall . . .surrounded by a triple colonnade, each rankcomposed of twenty-seven alabastercolumns. In the middle of the building stoodthe figure of a man issuing from a tomb; hishand, holding up a lance, struck the stonewhich previously confined him. His loinswere girt about with a green garment; goldgleamed from its hem. On his breast was asquare tablet bearing several letters. Abovethis figure hung a golden crown and thefigure seemed to lift itself into the air inorder to seize the crown. Above it was ayellow stone tablet bearing several emblemswhich I explained by means of theinscription I saw on the tomb and by the one

le tombeau, et par celle que j’avais vûe sur la poitrine de l’homme.

I had seen on the breast of the man.

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p. 71

Je restai dans cètte salle appellée I stayed in that hall which is called

le temps nécessaire pour en contempler tousles détours et j’en sortis bientôt dans l’intention de me rendre à travers une vaste plaine à une tour que j apperçus a une assezgrande distance.

the time needful for contemplating all itsaisles, and soon I left it with the intention ofcrossing a vast plain in order to reach atower that I had perceived at quite somedistance.

SECTION ELEVEN

APEINE j’avois quitté les marches du NO sooner had I quitted the steps of the

palais, que j’apperçus voltiger devant moi un oiseau semblable à

mais celui ci avoit deux ailes de papillonoutre les siennes, une voix sortant d’un nuage m’ordonna de le saisir et de l’attacher. Je m’élançai àprès lui, il ne voloit pas mais il se servoit de ses ailes pour couriravec la plus grande rapidité, je le poursuivis,il fuyoit devant moi et me fit plusieurs foisparcourir la plaine dans toute son étendue,Je le suivis sans m’arreter, enfin après neuf jours de course je le contraignis d’entrer dans la tour que j’avois vû de loinen sortantde

les murailles de cet édifice étoit de fer . . .trente six pilliers de même métal lessoutenoit l’intérieur étoit de même matiere, incrusté d’acier brillant. Les fondemens dela tour étoient construits de telle maniereque sa hauteur etoit doublée sous terre. àpeine l’oiseau fut il entré dans cette enceinte qu’un froid glacial sembla s’emparer de lui il fit de vains efforts pour mouvoir ses ailes

palace when I saw fluttering in front of me abird similar to

this one, however, having two wings like abutterfly’s besides its own. A voice issuingfrom a cloud commanded me to seize and toaffix it and I darted forth after it. It did notfly but used its wings in order to run withthe greatest rapidity. I pursued it; it fledbefore me and made me cover the entireplain several times. I followed it withoutpause. Finally, after pursuing it for ninedays, I forced it to enter the tower which Ihad seen in the distance as I was leaving

The walls of this edifice were of iron.Thirty-six columns of the same metalsupported it. The interior was of the samematerial, incrusted with shining steel. Thefoundations of the tower were soconstructed as to be twice as deep in theearth as they were high above ground. Thebird had barely entered this enclosure whenan icy cold seemed to overcome it. In vain it

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engourdies. Il s’agittoit encore, essayait de fuir, mais si foiblement que je l’atteignis avec la plus grande facilité.

Je le saisis, et lui passant un clou d’acier

tried to move its numbed wings. It stillfluttered, trying to flee, but so feebly that Ireached it with the greatest ease.

I seized the bird, and driving a steel nail

a travers les ailes je l’attachai sur le plancher de la tour. à l’aide d’un marteau appellé

à peine avois-je fini que l’oiseau reprit de nouvelles forces, il ne s’agitta plus, mais ses yeux devinrent brillants comme des topazesj’étois occupé à l’examiner quand un grouppe placé au centre de la salle attiramon attention, il représentoit un bel hommedans la fleur de rage il tenoit à la main uneverge qu’entouraient deux serpens entrelacés, et s’efforçait de s’échapper des mains d’un autre homme grand et vigoureux, armé d’une ceinture et d’un casque de fer sur le qu’el flottoit une aigrette rouge; une épée étoit près de lui elleetoit appuyée sur un bouclier chargéd’hieroglyphes; l’homme armé tenoit dans ses mains une forte chaine il en lioit lespieds et le corps de l’adolescent qui cherchoit vainement à fuir son terribleadversaire; deux tables rouges renfermaientdes caracteres.

Je quittai, la tour et ouvrant une porte qui setrouvoit entre deux pillers je me trouvaidans une vaste salle.

through its wings, I affixed it to the floor ofthe tower with the aid of a hammer called

Hardly had I finished when the birdacquired new strength. It did not move,however, but its eyes began to shine liketopaz. I was gazing at it when my attentionwas attracted by a group in the center of thehall. It showed a handsome man in theprime of life. In his hand he held a staffabout which two serpents were interlaced.The young man was striving to escape alarger and more powerful man who wore agirdle and a helmet of iron surmounted bywaving red plumes. Near him a sword layon a buckler covered with hieroglyphs. Thearmed man held in his hand a heavy chainwith which he shackled the feet and body ofthe youth who tried in vain to flee from histerrible adversary. Two red tablets borecertain characters.

I departed from the tower, and opening adoor between two pillars I found myself in avast hall.

SECTION TWELVE

LA SALLE dans la qu’elle je venois d’entrer étoit éxactement ronde, elleressembloit à l’intérieur d’une boule, composée d’une matiere dure et diaphane comme le cristal—elle reçevoit du jour par

THE hall into which I had just entered wasperfectly round; it resembled the interior ofa globe composed of hard and transparentmatter, as crystal, so that the light enteredfrom all sides. Its lower part rested upon a

toutes ses parties. La partie inférieure étoitposée sur un vaste bassin rempli de sablerouge, une chaleur douce et égale régnoitdans cette enceinte circulaire. Les sagesnomment cètte salle

le bassin de sable qui la soutient porte lenom de

je considerois avec étonnement ce globe decristal quand un phénomène nouveau exitamon admiration: du plancher de la salles’éleva une vapeur douce, moite et safranée elle m’environna, me souleva doucement etdans l’espace de trente six jours me porta jusqu’a la partie supérieure du globe, après ce temps la vapeur s’affaiblit je descendis peu à peu enfin je me retrouvai sur leplancher. ma robe changea de couleur, elleétoit verte lorsque j’entrai dans la salle, elledevint alors d’une couleur rouge éclatante. Par un effet contraire le sable sur lequel

vast basin filled with red sand. A gentle andequable warmth reigned in this circularenclosure. The sages call this hall

The basin of sand sustaining it is called

With astonishment I gazed around thiscrystal globe when a new phenomenonexcited my admiration. From the floor ofthe hall ascended a gentle vapor, moist andsaffron yellow. It enveloped me, raised megently and within thirty-six days bore me upto the upper part of the globe. Thereafter thevapor thinned; little by little I descendedand finally found myself again on the floor.My robe had changed its colour. It had beengreen when I entered the hall, but nowchanged to a brilliant red. A contrary effecthad taken place in the sand on which theglobe rested. Gradually

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reposait le globe, quitta sa couleur rouge etdevint noir par dégrés je demeurai encoretrois jours dans la salle après la fin de monascension.

Après ce temps j’en sortis pour entrer dansune vaste place environnée de colonnades etde portiques dorés au milieu de la placeétoit un pied d’estal de bronze, il supportoit un grouppe qui présentoit l’image d’un homme grand et fort, sa tête majestueuse

its red colour had been transformed intoblack. After finishing my ascent I remainedthree more days in that hall.

After that time I left it in order to enter alarge place surrounded by colonades andguilded porticos. In the center of the placestood a bronze pedestal supporting a grouprepresenting a large strong man whosemajestic head was covered with a crownedhelmet. A blue garment protruded through

étoit couverte d’un casque couronné; àtravers les mailles de son armure d’or, sortoit un vêtement bleu; il tenoit d’une main un bâton blanc, chargé de caracteres,et tendoit l’autre à une belle femme; aucun vêtement ne couvroit sa compagne, un soleilbrilloit sur son sein, sa main droitesupportoit trois globes joints par desanneaux d’or; une couronne de fleurs rouges ceignoit ses beaux cheveux, elle s’elançoit dans les airs et sembloit y élever avec elle leguerrier qui l’accompagnoit; tous les deux etoient portés sur des nuages autour degroupe, sur les chapiteaux de quatrecolonnes de marbre blanc, etoient poséesquatre statues de bronze; elles avoient desailes et paroissaient sonner de la trompette.

Je traversai la place, et montant un perronde marbre qui se trouvoit devant moi, je visavec étonnement que je rentrois dans la salledes thrônes, (la premiere où je m’étois trouvé en arrivant au palais de la sagesse)l’autel triangulaire étoit toujours au centre de cètte salle mais l’oiseau, l’autel et le flambeau étoient reunis et ne formoient plusqu’un corps. Près deux étoit posé un soleil d’or, lépée que j’avois apporté de la salle de feu, reposoit à quel que pas de là sur lecoussin d’un des thrônes;

the meshes of his golden armour. In onehand he held a white staff bearing certaincharacters, the other hand he extendedtoward a beautiful woman. His companionwore no garment,but a sun radiated from herbreast. Her right hand held three globesjoined by golden rings; a coronet of redflowers confined her beautiful hair. Shesprang into the air and seemed to lift withher the warrior who accompanied her; bothwere borne up by the clouds about thegroup. On the capitals of four white marblecolumns were set four bronze statues; theyhad wings and appeared to sound trumpets.

I crossed the place, and mounting on amarble platform which was before me, Inoticed with astonishment that I had re-entered the hall of Thrones (the first inwhich I had found myself when entering thePalace of Wisdom). The triangular altar wasstill in the center of this hall but the bird, thealtar and the torch were joined and formed asingle body. Near them was a golden sun.The sword which I had brought from thehall of fire lay a few paces distant on thecushion of one of the

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je prie l’épée et frappant le soleil je le réduisis en poussiere, je le touchai ensuite etchaque molécule devint un soleil d’or semblable à celui que j’avois brisé. l’oeuvre est parfait s’écria à l’instant une voix forte et mélodieuse, à ce cri les enfans de lalumière s’empresserent de venir me joindre, les portes de l’immortalité me furent ouvertes, le nuage qui couvre les yeux desmortels, se dissipa, JE VIS et les esprits quiprésident aux élémens, me reconnurent pour

thrones; I took up the sword and struck thesun, reducing it to dust. I then touched it andeach molecule became a golden sun like theone I had broken. At that instant a loud andmelodious voice exclaimed,"The work isperfect!" Hearing this, the children of lighthastened to join me, the doors ofimmortality were opened to me, and thecloud which covers the eyes of mortals, wasdissipated. I SAW and the spirits whichpreside over the elements knew me for their

leur maître.

FIN

master.

FINIS

NOTES AND COMMENTARIES

NITIATION into the Mysteries wasdefined by the ancient philosophers aslife’s supreme adventure and as the greatest good that can be conferred uponthe human soul during its terrestrialsojourn. Plato, in the Phaedrus, writesthus of the supreme importance ofacceptance into the sacred Rites:"Likewise, in consequence of this divineinitiation, we become spectators of entire,simple, immovable and blessed visions ina pure light; and were, ourselves, pureand immaculate and liberated from thissurrounding vestment which wedenominated body, and to which we arenow bound as an oyster to its shell.'

St. Paul also refers to the "innerexperience" by which we come to KNOW. He says, "We speak of wisdom among theperfect, not the wisdom of this world, nor of the Archons (Rulers) of this world, butdivine wisdom in a mystery, secret, which none of the Archons of this world know." Aninitiation is an extension of consciousness toward an appreciation of universal realities.The mystical ceremonials of the pagans and early Christians were but the outwardsymbols of inward processes. By obscure rites and pageantries the precious arcana ofperfection was transmitted from age to age. The profane were satisfied by the solemnityof the outward forms and rituals, but the Adepts, those who had received the keys,applied the wisdom which was locked within the allegories to perfecting their internalspiritual faculties. Origen, the most mystical of the

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anti-Nicean fathers, in his preface to St. John, admits the twofold nature of all theologicalrevelations: "To the literal minded [or exoterici] we teach the Gospel in the historic way,preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified; but to the proficient, fired with the love ofDivine Wisdom [the esoterici] we impart the Logos [the Word].

Perfection is not bestowed: it is achieved. Men do not become wise merely through thewitnessing of sacred dramas . . . rather, by the understanding of them. Symbolism is thelanguage of divine truths, a writing by means of which may be intimated things which itis unlawful to actually reveal. "For the mystic symbols are well known to us who belongto the Brotherhood." (Plutarch). By initiation the rule of works is established. The divineman and the divine in man are brought to completeness by works alone. The adepts of theold schools were "wise Master Builders" with vision to see, with courage to do, andwisdom to remain silent. "There is a secrecy and silence observed in all Mysteries," wroteTertullian, the creator of ecclesiastic Latinity.

During the ceremonials of initiation the neophyte was given the LAW. The great veritiesby which the universe moves towards its inevitable identity with God were revealed. Itremained for the Initiate to apply this Law and through this application to achieveconscious immortality. There is a forking of the ways of knowledge at which practicediverges from theory. A man may either fulfill the Law and thus by enlightened actioncome finally to perfection, or he may accept the word of the Law and, ignoring the spiritof it, remain as he is . . . imperfect and unenlightened. He who receives the LOGOS andabides in the spirit thereof gradually increases in wisdom. The Nazarean theurgists said ofsuch a one that "he had an oath." He was dedicated to the release of his inner part fromthe domination of his outer senses and appetites. Says Aretaeus, "Until the soul is set freeit works within the body and is obscured by vapors and clay." By vapors is arcanelysignified the appetites and excesses of the emotions which are as substanceless as a mist,and by the clay is meant the unresponsiveness of the corporeal form.

To increase in wisdom is to increase in enlightenment, for by enlightenment is inferredthe illumining of the inner recesses of the reason by the light of the Logos—the spiritualsun. This development of the ability to know by philosophic discipline is accompanied byextensions of realization and appreciation. These extensions are the true growth of thesoul which increases towards inclusiveness. Hence, in the sacred writings, this expansionof the soul’s sphere of action is called initiation. By initiation the indwelling divinity verges towards its own cause, the eternal Good. The chambers of

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initiation are the "many mansions" through which the indwelling divinity must pass asthrough the tortuous windings of the Cretan labyrinth. Along its course are many doors,through each of which it is ushered into a larger and more luminous area of function andaction. With each increase of our ability to appreciate the magnitudes of the divine plan,we are said to be reborn. Rebirth is the passing out from an old condition into a new state,from an old limitation to a new extension. As we grow in knowledge, our universe seemsto enlarge with us, taking on the measure of our new constitution. Wisdom releases.

The academies of the old Mysteries invited the wisest and best of humanity to departfrom the mortal shadow of worldliness and devote itself to those labors which are trulyeternal. The perfection of Self is the Great Work, the beginning and end of wisdom: theperfected Self is the perfect offering and the consummation of the Great Work. He who isperfect is of the greatest use to others, the greatest good to himself and the mostacceptable offering to the Most High.

With the collapse of the old pagan world and the corruption of the early ChristianChurch, the Mysteries ceased as great institutions. Their doctrines were lost, theirpriestcrafts were scattered, and their temples fell to ruin. New theories, for the most partsuperficial and insufficient, took the place of the earlier wisdom; and education, divorcedfrom its spiritual part, laid the foundation for our present chaos. But the wise remainedtrue to the ancient Rites. Those who had received the arcana could not, did not, forget.They gathered in secret, taught in secret and worshipped in secret. The temple fire burnedin the hearts of its initiates. The outer forms crumbled away; but the inner spirit,

strengthened by its participation in an everlasting truth, was immortal. Out of thedarkness of a degenerate civilization, across the desert of sterile centuries, and finallythrough the Red Sea of the Inquisition the Mystics of the ancient wisdom carriedtriumphantly the Ark of their covenant.

The so-called Middle Ages were an era of fantastic symbolism. The Hermetists devisedcomposite monsters borrowed from the gods of Egypt; the Cabbalists illuminated vellumwith curious figures, seals, pentacles, and grotesque signatures of demons; the alchemistsfilled huge volumes with weird formulas telling of the mystic properties of toads anddragon’s blood. In the dark field of medieval superstition there also grew and blossomed the Mystic Rose, to be finally choked out by the weeds of bigotry. These were strangecenturies when false faith had put wisdom to hazard. Yet who dares to deny that themystical traditions endured, and, clothed

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in the terms of Egyptian myths and chemistry, were still available to such as had eyes toperceive the tortured truth?

Against the background of dogmatic ignorance and purposeless pedantry stands outsharply and clearly the luminous personality of the Comte de St.-Germain. Master of theold wisdom, wise in forgotten truths, proficient in all the curious arts of antiquity, learnedbeyond any other man of the modern world, the mysterious Comte personified in his ownincredible achievements the metaphysical traditions of fifty centuries. A thousand timesthe questions have been asked: where did St.-Germain secure his astonishing knowledgeof natural law? How did he perpetuate himself from century to century, defying thenatural corruption which brings prince, priest, and pauper alike to a common end? St.-Germain was the mouthpiece and representative of the brotherhood of philosopherswhich had descended in an unbroken line from the hierophants of Greece and Egypt. Hehad received the Logos. By his wisdom he confounded the elders. The life of this oneman puts to naught the scholastic smugness of two thousand years.

La Très Sainte Trinosophie is supremely significant in that it sets forth the spiritualprocesses which finally result in adeptship. It is the diary of the soul’s coming of age. It may well be the actual record of St.-Germain’s own acceptance into the mystical brotherhood of which he finally became the Grand Master. As the purpose of themanuscript was the instruction of disciples already familiar with the secret terminology,the whole account is set forth symbolically in fragments of ritual and allegory derivedfrom the ceremonials of the classical era. Though the first reading may serve only toperplex, a deep and careful analysis of the text will gradually enlighten. Each willdiscover in the writing that which he himself knows, he will interpret it according to thatwhich he himself is, and he will apply it according to that which he himself desires.Symbols are all things to all men, yet beneath the wide diversity of interpretations ofwhich they are susceptible is a wisdom simple and inevitable which can becomprehended only by the truly wise. Opinions, theories, and beliefs fall away; at theroot of every emblem is a fact. Our manuscript is rich in these veiled facts and we arereminded by the author that no part of it is without hidden significance.

La Très Sainte Trinosophie is divided into twelve sections. Each is illuminated by anappropriate design. The early sections seem to derive their inspiration from the neo-Egyptian ritual called the Rite of Memphis, and the trials of the candidate are concerneddirectly with the four elements—earth, water, fire, and air. The grand

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pattern for the whole document is the Zodiac, to the signs of which the twelve sections ofthe writing are related. The Zodiac is the great soul cycle and the sun’s passage through the zodiacal symbols is the original from which the ancient priestcrafts derived theauthority for their sacred circumambulations. The ancients accepted the first sign of thezodiac as the beginning and the last sign as the end of all mundane activity. Similarly,Aries typified the beginning of regeneration or the entrance of the soul into light at thevernal equinox of the philosophic cycle, while Pisces signified the completion of thesacred pilgrimage and the accomplishment of the Magnum Opus.

St.-Germain chiefly employs alchemical symbols in this book of The Threefold Wisdom.This in no way infers that he is actually writing of chemical processes, for, as most of thegreat alchemists have agreed, the manufacturing of material gold is the least part of theirscience. That St.-Germain’s meaning may be clear and the correlations between the zodiacal signs and the alchemical processes become evident, the following table willprove useful:

Aries Calcination Expulsion of the animal soul through heat. (Purification bythe fire of aspiration.)

Taurus Congelation The union of parts; the achievement of one-pointedness orpurpose.

Gemini Fixation The condition of becoming firm, the fixing of the will.Cancer Dissolution To dissolve or to suspend in a fluid state; the

universalizing of the personality.Leo Digestion To soften by heat and moisture; to perfect the mind in

wisdom (heat) and imagination (humidity).Virgo Distillation The separation of the volatile principle from substance; the

release of the soul from its involvement in bodilylimitation.

Libra Sublimation The refining of elemental bodies; the increasing of thevibratory harmonies of the body.

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Scorpio Separation orPutrefaction

The philosophic death; an artificial decay by which thespiritual and material elements are separated from eachother.

Sagittarius Incineration The burning away of dross; the soul fire comsumes theexternal body.

Capricorn Fermentation The conversion of organic susbtance into new compounds

by a ferment; the building of the Golden Man.Aquarius Multiplication The process of increasing; adeptship.Pisces Projection The process of transmuting base substance into Gold; the

perfection of the Work; immortality; in the easterntradition, Buddhahood.

The arrangement of these symbols and processes differs in minor degree among thevarious writers, but the principle is always the same—the tran mutation of the not-Selfinto the Self; the tincturing of the outer life with the inner grace; the projection of soulupon its physical environment; the sublimation of evil into good; the multiplication ofbeauty, love, and truth until finally the powder of projection (wisdom) shall tincture thewhole world. The alchemists tell us that a minute particle of the "Red Lion" cantransmute into the purest gold a hundred thousand times its own weight. Wisdom—andwisdom alone—can accomplish this, for one wise man can perfect the ages, and a littletruth will in time so greatly increase that the universe may not contain it.

A ritual not dissimilar to that contained in the present writing is set forth in the PopulVuh, the sacred book of the Quichi Indians of Central America. The neophyte, in hisquest for wisdom, passes in succession through twelve tests: He crosses a river of blood(Aries) then a river of mud (Taurus), he detects a subterfuge (Gemini), he enters thehouse of darkness (Cancer), then the house of spears (Leo), the house of cold (Virgo), thehouse of tigers (Libra), the house of fire (Scorpio), and the house of bats (Sagittarius)where he dies (incineration). The picture at the head of the ninth section of St.Germain’s book depicts death. The body of the Indian neophyte is burned on a scaffold (Capricorn),the ashes scattered on the river (Aquarius), the ashes turn into a man-fish (Pisces), inwhich form the initiate, who has completed the cycle, destroys the evil genius who washis adversary through the initiatory ritual. The twelve

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[paragraph continues] Princes of Xibalba who are the Keepers of the Mysteries are of course thezodiacal gods.

As we follow St.-Germain into the lava beds of Vesuvius we indeed "tread upon thethreshold of Persephone." We follow him in his soul quest for truth. Now we read onlythe symbols and we understand only in part, but ultimately we must achieve as heachieved and face the universal course with the same high courage that pressed him on tomastership. His symbols are from the Book of Life, and although we do not see in dailyincident and happening the tests of which he writes, still each in his own sphere ofexperience faces the same hazards herein defined. We wander in the caverns ofuncertainty; the ghostly forms of doubt harass us; fear steals away our strength,selfishness our vision, and ignorance our courage. But we are all alchemists in thelaboratory of life: each is distilling the elixir of experience. In due time each shall haveaccomplished the perfection of this mysterious alchemical fluid, and with it shall tincturehis world and himself. Upon the base metals of this present age he shall sprinkle the

magical powder which his soul has discovered; the ages of Iron, of Silver, of Copper, andof Lead shall vanish away, and the Golden Age of the philosophers shall shine forth.

INTERPRETATION OF FIGURES AND TEXT

SECTION I.

(Figure I, page 34) The highly decorated title page of the manuscript is a valuable key tothe interpretation of the entire work. DeGivry describes the emblems thus: "This author’s symbolism is Egyptianized in the fashion of the day. On the title page of the work * * *we find * * * the bird of Hermes, a tree with golden fruit, and a vase in which the work isachieved, the primitive material under the form of a ball embraced by two wings, and aluminous triangle containing the Divine Name." In another place he adds: "The Hebrewname El is on the right with another divine name lower down written in Arabic; theletters AB near the latter are indicative of the alphabet and represent the Word—TheDivine Word. On the left is a Hebrew inscription taken from the first verses of the Bookof Genesis: 'And the earth was without form, and void (HOhu-va-Bohu); and darknesswas upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God (Ruach Elohim) moved upon theface of the waters'."

The letters in the golden triangle do not form the sacred name Jehovah but, whendecoded, yield the cryptic words: "Breathe after this One." That the "soul breath" of theCabbalists is to be inferred is evident from the wings behind the hawk of Ra in the upperleft corner. The second square from the top at the right is of especial Freemasonicinterest. A candidate for initiation into the Mysteries

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stands in symbolic posture before an altar—with "one shoe off and one shoe on." TheHebrew letters AL (EL) in the small circle are one of the ten Cabbalistic names of Godsignifying "God, the Creator," and is associated with the Sephira Chesed or mercy. Theletters AB are the mystical signature of the writer who was a "father" (abba) or master ofthe secret wisdom. The letters are also an abbreviation for an alchemical process. TheArabic "divine name" really consists of Hebrew words written in Arabic characters whichread: "The Lord, the Most High, purifies." The Hebrew inscription in the lower leftcorner, while unquestionably the second verse of the first chapter of Genesis, does notread as in the Authorized Version. Characters have been changed and the sense altered toread in substance: "And the earth shall be a desolate waste. There shall be lamenting, andhate and consternation shall be upon the Face. And the Breath of El-him, because of thepresence of the spirit, shall destroy those that have departed from God."

Analysis of the Text.

In the opening chapter of his manuscript, St.-Germain ingeniously depicts the "relapsed"state of the human soul. The dungeon of the Inquisition is the sphere of man’s animal consciousness. The physical world, dominated by inquisitional impulses, constitutes thesoul’s torture chamber and house of testing. To the sage the material universe is the

antechamber where gather those who are awaiting acceptance into the sacred rites. Whenthe Comte speaks of "this place of exile" and the "monarchs who rule" over it, he refersto the illusionary universe and "the princes of this world." Here is the Prometheus myth,the Titan bound to Caucasus for indiscretion, and Lucifer chained in the bottomless pitfor pride.

Throughout the early pages is traceable the allegory of the Prodigal Son. First is depictedhumanity’s heroic state during the Golden Age before sin and death came into the world. St.-Germain describes himself as "showered with the blessings of heaven and surroundedby power such as the human mind cannot conceive." The Comte then writes that "onemoment destroyed everything." The mystery of the Fall of Man has never been revealedto the profane. The great cyclic law which swept the hosts of fiery Sparks into the abyssis known only to the elect. In the darkness of chaos the rebel spirits established theirworld. They built the cosmos and were locked within each of the material elements whichthey had willed into being. When the lower earth had been completed, the great Fatherdesired to draw back into Himself His prodigal creation. To accomplish this He caused toissue from His own being His WORD—the Sotar or Messiah. Descending from theAbode of Light this heavenly Archon diminished its splendor, and investing its glory inthe dark robes of earth, took upon Itself the cross of the cycles.

To the Gnostics, the physical universe was compounded of the dregs of spirit. It was theabortion of space. Material existence was nature’s punishment for the rebellion of the angels. This was clearly set forth in the initiatory rituals which taught that men werereborn in earthly bodies as punishment for sin. Those who perfected themselves wereborn no more, but, like Buddha at the Great Release, passed on to the Nirvana of thewise—a birthless, deathless state. From the dun,

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geons of materiality the sages released themselves through the practice of their esotericrites. Perfected in wisdom, these Initiates broke through the adamantine wall of themortal sphere and emerged into the light of God.

The alchemical interpretation relates to the elementary spirits locked within the physicalforms of the elements. It should be noted that in his procedure through the initiatorytrials, St.-Germain identifies himself with the substance from which the Philosopher’s Stone is to be formed. He is the alchemical matter itself passing through twelve cycles ofrefinement. It thus becomes evident that the alchemists recognized that their Great Workconsisted of the transmutation of themselves. The earth (the dungeon) is filled with theseed souls of precious metals; here they are locked awaiting Art and Wisdom. As goldexists within every grain of sand but is incapable of manifesting itself unless stimulatedby alchemical processes, so the seeds of truth, beauty, and knowledge exist within thedark earth of man’s animal organism. The growth and perfection of these precious virtues is stimulated by discipline and in the fullness of time all base impulses and purposes aretransmuted into the gold of soul power.

SECTION II.

(Figure II, page 40) In his notes on the Trinosophia, de Givry concerns himself solelywith the alchemical import of the symbolism of this figure. He says of the second platethat it "represents a man gazing into a prophetic cup forming a magic mirror. Theconjoined signs of the Sun and the Moon are seen against the pedestal of the table; at thetop of the figure a super-position of differently colored rectangles indicates the phases ofthe Work; and the double sign of the lingam in a circle emblematically recalls theHermetic male and female. An inscription in Greek letters and made-up characters givesa formula for the composition of Gold, or the Sun-King, by means of a mixture of goldand silver regenerated by vital mercury; linked to the blue rectangle giving this formula isa lower red rectangle inscribed with the rule for the furnace fire in Hebrew characters."

A careful analysis inclines us to suspect a more profound significance. The circle at theupper right, though possibly phallic in its superficial sense, is actually an occultmonogram or seal containing two Greek letters. Translated these signify "the Light ofGod" or "the Light of Revelation." The rectangles at the upper left are the elements. Thearrangement is Oriental. The lower four are crowned by the fifth—the quintessence, themysterious Æther of the sages. The inscription in the upper panel describes thequickening of the soul seed by the warmth of the eastern quarter. (Aries.) There is alsoreference to the Breath which moves in the vessel, or upon the waters. The number 62appears, accompanied by the admonition to open the heavenly gate (clairvoyance) withthe aid of the vessel or cup. Does the cup (ark) contain the Water of Lethe, by partakingof which souls descending into generation lose all memory of their heavenly origin? Ordoes it contain the Water of Mnemosyne which flows at the gateway of wisdom and ofwhich

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the adepts drink, the water of remembrance by which the soul remembers its ownsubstance and origin?

The female figure is Isis in her role of Initiatrix. She is Nature, and her black skirt is thecorporeal world by which part of her body is concealed. The naked man is the neophyte.Unclothed he came into the world and unclothed he must be born again. Bereft of alladornment, stripped of all insignia of rank and power, he may bring to the temple nothingthat he has—only that which he is.

The table upheld by the Sun and Moon and at the base of which burns the everlasting fire,is the world. The objects lying upon it, or held by Isis, are three of the suit symbols whichappear upon Tarot cards. The whole design, in fact, is not dissimilar to that major Tarottrump which is called Le Bateleur, the Juggler. The cup is the symbol of water, thespearhead of fire and the wand of air. Fire, air, and water are the symbols of the greatMagical Agent. Their names in Hebrew are Chamah, Ruach, and Majim, and by theCabbala the first letter of each of these words—Ch, R, and M—constitute Chiram, knownto Freemasons as Hiram. This is the invisible essence which is the father of the fourelements, and designates itself Chiram Telat Mechasot—Chiram the Universal Agent,one in essence, three in aspect, in which is hidden the wisdom of the whole world.

The Hebrew characters in the panel above the head of Isis are translated: "On account ofdistress they shall cling to the Bestower," which means that those (the wise) who havebecome wearied with worldliness shall turn to wisdom, the bestower of all good things.

Analysis of the Text.

The account of the initiatory ritual now begins. The disciple has waited the appointedtime in the dark material universe which is the womb of the Mysteries. The process ofphilosophical birth proceeds according to the ancient and immutable law. The neophyte,veiled and bearing the Golden Bough (the mistletoe), advances toward the iron altar.

The choice of Vesuvius as the scene for the initiation is exceedingly appropriate. Thevent of the volcano leads downward into the subterranean strata of the earth where dwellthe subterranean deities who must be first propitiated. The volcano is also the symbol ofthe alchemical furnace. The veil signifies that the neophyte has reached the state of themystæ—one who perceives through a veil, or, in the Christian Mysteries, "as through aglass darkly." Pliny refers to the mistletoe as the "all-healer." It was presumably theGolden Bough given to Æneas as a passport to the infernal regions. Sir James Frazer thuscomments upon the initiatory ceremony as set forth by Virgil:

"If the mistletoe, as a yellow withered bough in the sad autumn woods, was conceived tocontain the seed of fire, what better companion could a forlorn wanderer in the nethershades take with him than a bough that would be a lamp to his feet as well as a rod andstaff to his hands? Armed with it he might boldly confront

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the dreadful spectres that would cross his path on his adventurous journey. Hence whenÆneas, emerging from the forest, comes to the banks of Styx, winding slow with sluggishstream through the infernal marsh, and the surly ferryman refuses him passage in hisboat, he has but to draw the Golden Bough from his bosom and hold it up, andstraightway the blusterer quails at the sight and meekly receives the hero into his crazybark, which sinks deep in the water under the unusual weight of the living man."

Mistletoe is a parasite, and as such symbolizes the heavenly man within the mortal body.The soul grows from the body and in it, but is not of it, for as the tree takes itsnourishment from the earth even so the body receives its sustenance from materialsources; but the mistletoe derives its vitality not from the dark loam but from the tree andthe air. The mistletoe is said to be luminous in the darkness, and has been called the wiseman’s torch. Its luminosity is the light of the internal organs—the aura of the brain. Hewho bears the branch announces his fitness to receive the initiation.

The neophyte lays the branch upon the iron altar; he gives himself to the law, assumingthe responsibilities of spiritual progress. The sacred Word is spoken. The hallowedBough bursts into flame: the sacrifice is accepted. The earth opens. Down through theRoyal Arches as into a great abyss passes the candidate. The mists clear, revealing a vastcavern—the dark mother from which all things must come—similar in significance to

Porphyry’s cave of the nymphs. The long white robe is the seamless garment of the Nazarene woven from the endless thread of experience. The copper lamp is enlightenedlove, without which no man may follow the narrow path of wisdom. Robed in purity,illumined with compassion and understanding, the neophyte follows the black vaultedpassage which leads to immortality.

After a great distance the passage ends in a square room from which lead four doors. Thisis the Hall of Choosing. The doors signify the courses which the soul can pursue. Theblack door is the path of asceticism and labor; the red door is that of faith; the blue dooris that of purification, and the white door is that of adept-ship and of the highestMysteries. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna describes these paths and those who followthem, and reveals that the last is the highest and the most perfect.

The neophyte enters through the black door of asceticism and labor and is about to passthrough the red door of enlightened love when it closes upon him. He then turns to thedoor of purification and sacrifice but this will not receive him. Then the star, the symbolof his essential dæmon or genius, darts through the white door. Fate has decreedadeptship. The neophyte follows his star.

The alchemical significance of the account reveals that at the beginning of the GreatWork the power of choice is given to the operator, that he may decide the end to whichhis labor shall be directed. The black door represents the making of material gold; the reddoor the Universal Medicine for the healing of the nations;

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the blue door the Elixir of Life, and the white door the Philosopher’s Stone. From thedoor which is chosen we discover that aspect of the Great Work which our authorcontemplates.

SECTION III.

(Figure III, page 44) Two lions, one red and the other black, guard the Crown. TheCrown is Kether, the fountain of wisdom. The king of beasts symbolizes nobility andrulership. In ancient times, figures of lions adorned the thrones of princes. These animalswere also guardians of gates, and in Egypt the Sphinx, the man-headed lioness guardedthe entrance to the House of the Mysteries.

The inscription upon the flank of the lion is inverted. An inverted symbol signifies aperverted power: thus, nobility becomes tyranny and greatness leads to despotism. In theintroduction to his writing, St.-Germain warns his disciples of two adversaries which theneophyte must overcome. One he terms the misuse of power and the other indiscretion.The black lion represents tyranny and the red lion, lust. Those who would accomplishwisdom must overcome these animals if they would reach the Crown which lies beyond.The black lion is the temptation of power—the impulse to build temporal empire in aspiritual universe. The red lion is the temptation to possess. Its ministers in the humanbody are the sense perceptions which would deflect the aspiring candidate from his holy

course and lead him into the fantastic sphere of appetite and desire. There can be nocompromise with these monsters of perversion.

With the vision there appears suspended the strung bow of the will and two lance-pointedarrows. Quickly must the bow be drawn and to the heart of each beast a shaft be driven."Kill out desire," decrees the eastern master. "Slay ambition," wrote the western sage.The clouds upon which thelions stand signify the unsubstantiality of the world’s pomp and circumstance, while in the clear sky above, the golden Crown floats unsupported.Wisdom is a sufficient foundation for itself, but all other bodies and conditions dependfor their support upon the frail stuff "that dreams are made on."

The panel above the lions commands that man should bend the knee and worship the all-powerful God who sends forth His love in winged splendor from the first angle of theworld. (Aries.) It also informs that the sixth sign, which is mighty and powerful, is theending and completion of the ages. Virgo, the sixth sign of the zodiac, is the symbol ofservice and renunciation by which the lions may be overcome. He who gives up life forwisdom shall receive a fuller life.

Beneath the lions is a panel containing Greek characters which mean: "Each mustsprinkle himself with his own wine from the mountain of Chios. He must drink to Godbefore the wood. He must give himself in exchange for that for which he yearns." Thesewords are from an old ritual. Wood was the symbol of Dionysius and it was in honor ofthis god of the wood and of the vine that the ritual of the Communion was firstestablished. To drink of one’s own blood or to sprinkle oneself with his own wine is to be immersed in or tinctured by the inner soul power.

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[paragraph continues] Fermentation was the presence of Bacchus or the life in the juice of thegrape, and the Greeks used the symbol of intoxication, as do the Sufis of Islam, torepresent ecstacy. A man in an ecstatic state was described by them as being one"intoxicated with God."

Analysis of the Text.

The first initiation is that of earth, represented by the black marble passage, ways in thesubterranean regions of the volcano. To pass this test the body must be subdued in all itsparts and become a perfect instrument of the enlightened will. The bodily atoms andmolecules must be vibrated anew until there is no part of the physical fabric which doesnot pulsate with spiritually directed energy.

The second mystery in the order of the Memphis Rite is that of water, and at thebeginning of this section the candidate finds himself standing on the shore of a vastunderground lake. This is the sea of ether which separates the two worlds. It is thehumidic body of the earth, the sphere of generation. He who would reach the invisibleworld must cross this sea, that is, become master of the generative powers of nature. Ledby the blazing star, the candidate throws himself into the midst of the waves. With his

lamp upon the crown of his head (the spirit fire lifted into the pineal gland) he strugglesfor mastery over the currents of the etheric world. His strength fails, and he cries out tothe Universal Cause for help. A boat appears, in it seated the king of the earth with agolden crown upon his forehead. But the boat is pointed back toward the shore fromwhich the neophyte has come. The crowned man offers the kingdoms of the earth but thedisciple of wisdom who has risen above these things cannot be thus easily tempted.Strengthened by the courage of righteous decision and aided by the invisible genii, thecandidate fights his way to the distant shore. Before him rises the silvery wall of themoon, the lady of the sea, whose dominion he has passed.

The fire initiation awaits him. Having mastered the vital principle of nature by whichgrowth and propagation are controlled, the candidate next faces ambition, the fire of prideand the flaming tyranny of emotional excess. He beholds the lions, the fire symbols. Thekey to the course of action is revealed by the hieroglyphics. The lions, the writing and thewall dissolve. The path stretches out through the sphere of eternal flame.

The alchemical aspect of the symbolism is one of purification or the passing of theelements of the Stone through a bath. In this process of purification they pass from anearthy state through a vaporous or watery condition, to a fiery or gaseous quality. Thelunar humidity present in all bodies must be dried out, which led the Greek philosophersto declare that "a dry soul is a wise one." The Platonists interpreted this to mean that themastery of the lunar principle brought to an end the reign of corruption by which allbodies are finally dissolved. The moon rules physical generation or the perpetuation ofcorruptible forms, but the sun has dominion over spiritual generation, the creation ofincorruptible bodies. Man is the progeny of fire (the sun), water (the moon), and air (thebird of Thoth). The

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temptation by the king with the golden crown suggests one of the most commondifficulties of the alchemical tradition. Those who attempted the art in most cases failedin their quest for wisdom because they became fascinated with dreams of wealth.Material gold tempts the alchemist away from his spiritual quest for enlightenment andimmortality.

SECTION IV.

(Figure IV, page 48) Upon an altar formed of the twelve whorls of a winged serpenttwisted about a spear rests the cup of Everlastingness. The device is derived from thecyclic serpent so often used in the Rites of Serapis. The twelve coils of the snake areemblematic of the philosophic year and the spiral course of the Ain through the zodiacalconstellations. In the preparation of the Wise Man’s Stone the elements pass through twelve stages of augmentation. In each of these cycles the power of the matter isintensified, a fact which is suggested by the increasing size of the serpent’s spirals. The figure is also reminiscent of what the sages termed the philosophic vortex—the naturalform of the soul power in the human body.

In Isis Unveiled, H. P. Blavatsky writes: "Before our globe had become egg-shaped orround it was a long trail of cosmic dust or fire-mist, moving and writhing like a serpent.This, say the explanations, was the Spirit of God moving on the Chaos until its breath hadincubated cosmic matter and made it assume the annular shape * * *". In the ChaldeanOracles the Universal Fire is described as moving with a serpentine motion. The presentsymbol is the Universal Wisdom moving as a winged serpent upon the surface of theprimitive chaos—that is, the unregenerated body of the neophyte. The ritual of theSabazian Mysteries included the drawing of a live snake across the breast of thecandidate. In the drawing, the serpent is twisted around the backbone—the spear—andforms an appropriate support for the cup of immortality.

Beside this strange altar stands the jewelled sword. Faintly traceable upon its sheath arethe ancient symbols of the eye, the heart, and the mouth, symbolic of the three persons ofthe Creative Triad—life in the heart, light in the eye, breath in the mouth. The life, thelight, and the breath are the sources of all things and from their union in the cruciformsymbol the candidate must fashion the weapon for his protection against the elementaldarkness. The cycle symbol must be overcome by wisdom. This is "the sword of quickdecision" with which the Oriental neophyte must cut low the snaky branches of the worldbanyan tree, the emblem of the self-replenishing cycles and the law of rebirth. Theserpent is the spiral of evolution; the cup contains the shining Nirvanic sea into which thesoul is finally merged; the sword is the illumined will—the same sword which solves theenigma of life’s Gordian Knot by cutting it with a single stroke.

The cryptic words on the upper panel carry out this thought. Translated, they are:"Reverence this vessel (the ark or cup) of Everlastingness; offer freely of yourself aportion unto IA (Iah or Jah, Jehovah) and to the corner (or angle) in

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atonement." This is derived from the symbolism of the Chaldeans, who regarded theUniversal Cause as the Lord of the Angles.

Analysis of the Text.

The candidate enters upon the place of fire. A great sea of flames (the astral world)stretches out in every direction, bubbling and seething with an infernal fury. The dæmonorders the candidate to advance. With his mind fixed upon Reality, the disciple obeys,only to discover that the fire has lost its heat, and he walks unharmed into the midst of theconflagration. He finds himself in the Temple of Sidereal Fire, in the midst of which isthe greenish-gold form of a serpent with ruby eyes and diapered scales. The nature of thefire is clearly revealed, for we are told that one-half of it burns with a vivid light, whilethe other half is shadowed and blackish. Here is the serpent of the astral light, which,according to Eliphas Levi, is twined around every flower that grows in the garden ofKama, or desire. The yogi in his meditation knows well the meaning of the House of Fireand the serpent which guards it. Here the candidate discovers the significance of theUniversal Fire-Spirit which, turned downward, is the root of all evil, but if it be lifted up,draws all men to wisdom. The serpent-fire must be overcome. The sword is at hand, and

with it the candidate strikes at the brazen coils. Brass is the composite metal symbolic ofthe body of man, before it is reduced by philosophy to its simple elements.

The Lord of the Fire World is vanquished. The senses are controlled; the appetites areunder the iron dominion of the will. Anger, hate, and pride have been exiled from thesoul. The three fires of illusion have died out. The whole mirage of the astral light fadesamidst a terrifying outburst of sound and color. The candidate is lifted through the Archesof the underworld. He passes quickly through the monsters that dwell on the boundariesof excess. The cruciform sword scatters the foul throng of darkness. Upward and upward,through the numerous layers of the globe (the orbits of the interior stars) the neophyterises, after his three days (degrees) in the darkness of Hades. The stone is rolled away,and at last, with a burst of glory, he rises into the light of day—the air sphere wheredwells the mind which must be conquered next.

The alchemical philosophy is evident. The circular space is a distilling vessel whichstands in the midst of the furnace flame. The serpent represents elements within theretort, and the candidate portrays other elements which have the power to dissolve andcorrode the serpent. The rising of the candidate upward through the walls of the globehere signifies the vapors which, ascending through the long neck of the distilling vessel,escape from the heated inferno below.

SECTION V.

(Figure V, page 50) The strange bird hovering above the altar fire is the sacred Ibis,symbol of Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom and letters, and the patron of alchemy. It isthe volatile philosophical Mercury which can remain in a suspended state only "when inthe midst of the flames." By the philosophical Mercury we

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must understand the regenerated principle of intellect—mind rendered truly luminous bythe flame of inspiration. In its beak the bird carries a green branch, the acacia ofFreemasonry—the symbol of rebirth and immortality through spiritual enlightenment.The black feet and wings signify the earth principle, the silvery body the water principle,the red head the fire principle, and the golden neck the airy principle. The spiritual bodiesof the elements are thus united in a philosophical creature, the bird of the wise men—thephœnix.

Beside the bird and the altar is an elaborate candlestick, its base formed of twistedserpents. (Ida and Pingala?) The upper end of the candlestick terminates in a lotusblossom from which rises a lighted taper.This is the soul light, the inner radiance whichreveals the secret of the bird. As man’s external existence is lighted by an external sun, by which he perceives all temporal concerns, so his internal existence is illuminated bythe light of the soul, the radiance of which renders visible the workings of the divinemind within.

The inscription beneath reads: "To the strong is given the burden." This refers to thequalifications for adeptship. The great truths of life can be conferred only upon those whohave been tested in the essentials of character and understanding. In the panel above, thereader is instructed to "Kindle a fire upon the high place, that the sacrifice may be borneupward to the Desired One." The symbolism is borrowed from the ceremonials of the oldJews. Upon the altar of burnt incense a fire was continually burning. This is the fire ofholy aspiration which consumes the base elements of the body and transmutes them intosoul qualities, symbolized by the incense fumes, and these ascend as evidence of thespiritual convenant between aspiring humanity and its Creator.

The panel to the right describes the ceremony which accompanies the building of thesacred fire. The one on the left is part of a ritual, in substance as follows: "When theyears of this existence are done, and the soul, outbreathing at death, approaches the gateof immortality, may the bird bear it swiftly away to the abode of the wise." In theEgyptian rites, the soul of the Initiate departed in the form of a bird which is shownhovering over the couch on which the mummy lies. The soul-bird with the green branchrefers to the Messianic Mystery as set forth in the Book of the Dead. Wisdom confersimmortality upon the soul. Without wisdom, the soul must perish with the body. This isthe secret of the ritual of the Coming Forth by Day or the Breathing Out of the Ka.

Analysis of the Text.

The candidate next experienced the mystery of the airy or intellectual principle. He israised out of the subterranean depths by his guardian spirit and lifted into the higheratmosphere. Below him is the desert. Special attention is called to triangular masses—thepyramids. An early manuscript in our collection affirms that the Egyptians were able tomanufacture the Philosopher’s Stone without artificial heat by burying the retort in the desert sand, which furnished the exact temperature for alchemical experiments. Thedesert is here a symbol for the aridity

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and unproductivity of the unawakened consciousness. In the physical universe spiritualvalues languish, yet in the midst of this mortal sphere stand the pyramids, supremesymbols of spiritual alchemy—temples of initiation in the desert of waiting. It issignificant that the atmosphere of Egypt is peculiarly conducive to the perpetuation ofancient monuments of learning which, when moved from their old footings, rapidlycrumble away. Thus material life, the desert, is a natural laboratory in which the supremechemistry is accomplished through suffering and aspiration.

The account of the rising and falling of the candidate through space relates to thealternations of the substances in the retort by which they pass through a cycle ofattenuation and precipitation, to be finally drawn off through the neck of the vessel.Hermes uses this figure to set forth the mystery of rebirth, the periodic alternation of thesoul from a temporal to a sidereal condition, and its final liberation through initiation.Reaching the upper extremity of the intellectual sphere, the candidate is incapable offurther function, and swoons.

Upon regaining consciousness he discovers himself to be invested with a starry garment,the same spoken of by Apuleius in his Metamorphosis, and also that worn by the adeptsof the Mithraic Rite. By the starry garment is represented not only the auric body but thenew universal aspect of being—the sidereal consciousness bestowed by the experience ofinitiation. The candidate may return to the narrowness of his physical environment, buthe can never again reduce his consciousness to the limitations of the material state. Thestarry body is his regenerated and illumined intellect.

The strange characters signifying the name of the bird with the green branch are decodedto mean "To be given the life"—that is, immortality. The name of the altar reads: "TheCrown, Kether"and is decoded, "When shall be the gate of entrance." Together, the twophrases mean: "Immortality shall be conferred at the gate of the House of Wisdom." Thename of the torch is Light; but translated, the characters read: "The dernier shall behidden away and forgotten." This coin of the prophet should be understood in the senseof the suit of Coins in the Tarot deck, for this suit represents the material body overwhich the symbol has rulership. The statement may then read: "The body of the wise manshall be concealed." This thought was faithfully followed by the old adepts. The tombs ofthe Initiates have never been discovered; and in the famous Rosicrucian cemetery theresting places of the Brothers are marked only by the Rose. During the initiationceremonies, which took place in the invisible worlds, the physical body of the neophytewas hidden in a secret place where no disturbing forces could reach it while the soul wasexploring the mysteries of Amenti. Body here also represents personality and the wholepersonal sphere of life which must be cast aside and forgotten; also the personal egowhich must die or be buried that the Universal Self may be born from its seed.

SECTION VI.

(Figure VI, page 54) The altar which our author describes as being composed of

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the four elements is triangular in shape. From this circumstance two sacred numbers areproduced: the square (4) plus the triangle (3) equals 7; and the four elements of the altarmultiplied by the triangle equals 12. From this the composition of the world is madeapparent. Nature is a triangular arrangement of four elements; and the divine world, ofwhich the zodiac is a proper symbol, consists of these elements multiplied three times, orin their three primary states. The altar is the human body; its material parts—the square—are arranged in the spiritual order—a triangle. Upon the altar are the three symbols fromthe previous diagram. They are so placed as to form a triangle, and we must understandthem as salt, sulphur and Mercury—body, spirit, and soul.

In the air above the altar is the crux ansata, the symbol of generation and fecundity. Thismay be considered as copper—the metal of Venus, and a symbol of the reproductiveenergy of the soul. Venus is the Lucifer of the ancients, the light bearer, the star of self-knowledge. This symbol must remind the sage that the power to multiply is common toboth the internal and external man. As bodies generate bodies, so the inner body, the soul,generates the archetypes of personalities. By alchemy, wisdom perpetuates itself by

applying to its own peculiar purposes the same laws by which forms are perpetuated inthe corporeal sphere.

The whole figure is a symbol of spiritual generation, the mystery of Melchisedek, who ishis own father and his own mother and is above the law. It sets forth perpetualreenergization by the use of the Stone. It tells of the very power, which St.-Germainhimself possessed, of continuing from century to century by means of the subtle Elixir,the secret of which was known only to himself and his Masters. First, the three parts ofthe composite man spirit, soul, and body—must be brought into equilibrium, and fromthis equilibrium is born the Homunculi or Crystal Man. This Man is an immortallygenerating ego capable of precipitating personalities at will, yet itself unchanged by thesepersonalities and unlimited by them. Instead of the soul living in the body and prisonedby its limitations, a new condition is established: the body lives in the soul. To the adept,the physical form is but an instrument for the expression of consciousness, intelligence,and action—represented by the candle, the bird, and the burning altar.

Analysis of the Text.

This part contains some of the most beautiful symbolism in the entire manuscript. Thecandidate, having transcended the four elements, now continues into the sphere of highercausations, where he is instructed in the great Cabbalistic principles by which theuniversal integrity is preserved. The palace is the archetypal sphere—Plato’s world of Ideas. The simple geometric arrangement reveals the divine harmony.

The doors of the archetypal world swing open and the Hierophant of the Order comesforth. It is He who was called the Master of the Hidden House, the Initiator, the Keeper ofthe Keys of Thoth. Alchemy is a religion of fire, as is also Zarathustrism. The Magustherefore wears the insignias of Zoroaster and speaks in the

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language of the Fire Prophet. The names which the Hierophant gives to the bird, thetorch and the altar are the same as those given in the preceding section.

In company with the Initiator the candidate enters the immense temple, whose 360columns leave no doubt as to its identity with the universe. The altar already described,being the threefold cause of the material sphere, is placed in the center of the great hall.The Hierophant next informs the disciple as to the new names which have been bestowedupon the sacred objects. The bird is called Ampheercha, which is interpreted to mean thata mother shall bear the likeness, or double. This is a reference to the ImmaculateConception and to the Secret Doctrine as the mother of the adepts. The name for the altarappears to be the word for priest but refers to the Initiator as the one through whom thedisciple is born in the second or philosophic birth, a mystery more fully explained in thename of the torch. The hall is called Sky (the firmament) but involves in the formation ofits characters the Cabbalistic admonition: "Worship the glory which is to come." Thetriangular altar is Athanor, a self-feeding digesting furnace used by the alchemists, but

the word may be divided into two. The first part then means immortality and the second,the four quarters of the heavens.

The eighty-one Thrones placed within the palace of the Sky, each at the top of nine steps,are of great significance. The Rosicrucian Mysteries consisted of nine lesser and threegreater rites or degrees—a system which may be traced directly to the Cabbala. Out ofKether, the universal Crown, issue the nine Sephiroth and from each of these in turn issuenine others. Nine is the sacred number of Man, and in the old Cabbala, Adam (ADM) isthe numerical equivalent of r, 4, and 40—numbers whose sum is 9. The symbolism of thenine is continued throughout mystical literature. The Eleusinian Mysteries were given innine nocturnal ceremonials to represent the months of the prenatal epoch. By Cabbalisticaddition, eighty-one equals nine, and the Thrones signify the eighty-one branchesgrowing upon the great World Tree. The schools of the Lesser Mysteries are patternedfrom the universal harmony and here we see set forth the arrangement of the secretBrotherhood.

The name for the great hall is repeated in the text at the point where the venerablemembers of the school enter and take their seats. The disciple receives his philosophicalname. He is called the Wise Man and the words mean: "To be the Face or Manifestor ofthe Most High." The nine masters of the lodge then bestow their gifts. The first gives acube of gray earth representing the element of earth; the second, three cylinders of blackstone—the three phases of the Moon; the third, a rounded crystal—Mercury; the fourth acrest of blue plumes—Venus; the fifth, a silver vase—the Sun; the sixth, a cluster ofgrapes—Mars; the seventh, a bird—Jupiter; the eighth, a small altar—Saturn; and theninth, a torch—the fixed stars. For the understanding of the significance of these gifts,consider the following fragments from the Pyamander of Hermes relative to the ascensionof the soul through the nine spheres and its return to the Lords of each of these spheresthe gifts or limitations which are imposed by the laws of generation: